Inside Cisco’s Cyber and Digital Upskilling Programmes
On Wednesday 5 March Cisco Chair and CEO Chuck Robbins announced the company’s plans to equip 1.5 million people in the EU with critical, future-facing digital skills by 2030.
In a two-pronged approach, Chuck also outlined plans to support the future workforce by delivering education and training in key areas including cybersecurity, AI and IT.
He said: “Cisco is committed to supporting the EU and our education partners in developing the talent essential for thriving in an AI-driven future.
“This new initiative strengthens our partnership to build a resilient and skilled workforce ready to meet Europe’s digital transformation and AI objectives.”
Cisco’s commitment, which aligns with the EU’s Union of Skills framework, builds on the knowledge, resources and expertise of its Cisco Networking Academy, one of the world’s longest running skills-to-jobs programmes.
The academy has pioneered the development of crucial skills in cybersecurity and digital technology for three decades.
Most recently, it accomplished the goal of training a quarter of a million people in cybersecurity skills, contributing to the EU’s Cyber Skills Academy initiative.
What is the Cisco Networking Academy?
Cisco’s Networking Academy is a pioneering global programme that has operated since 1997. Since that time it has provided courses to more than 20 million learners.
The academy offers digital skills training through partnerships across the public and private sector and provides a comprehensive curriculum designed to prepare learners for future careers in the digital economy.
The goal of the academy is to use education as an equaliser, enabling anyone, regardless of background, to develop expertise in the digital skills necessary for the future workforce.
It does so through collaboration with an ecosystem of partners including the United Nations and the White House’s National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy, and through the delivery of industry leading cybersecurity courses and other programmes.
Recognising the increasing importance of cybersecurity skills for protecting future businesses, the academy has set the goal of closing the US cybersecurity skills gap by training 200,000 students in the subject.
Developing cybersecurity skills
Businesses globally face a critical cybersecurity skills shortage that, if not solved, leaves them exposed to an increasingly hostile and complex digital landscape.
According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), the global cybersecurity talent shortage could reach 85 million workers by 2030, causing approximately US$8.5tn in unrealised annual revenue.
The WEF’s ‘Strategic Cybersecurity Talent Framework’ white paper finds that the global cybersecurity workforce grew by 12.6% between 2022 and 2023.
However, more than four million workers in the cybersecurity industry are needed worldwide, the paper highlights. It adds that two-thirds of organisations face additional risks because of cybersecurity skills shortages, yet only 15% of firms expect cyber skills to significantly ramp up in 2026.
The Cisco Networking Academy plays a crucial role in filling this gap. It offers several dedicated cybersecurity courses covering themes including:
- Attacks, concepts and techniques
- Protecting data and privacy
- Protecting the organisation
- Threat intelligence
- Network Security
- Risk management
- Ethical hacking
- Penetration testing
- Social engineering attacks
- Cloud, mobile and IoT security
- Exploitation techniques
- CyberOps
Expanding cyber education
Cisco’s latest commitment follows its recent success in training 250,000 people in cybersecurity skills as part of the EU’s Cyber Skills Academy.
Launched in 2023 as part of the European Year of Skills, this policy initiative aims to improve the coordination of cybersecurity skills programmes in the EU.
Cisco is a key partner in the initiative and will support it with its new commitments.
The new programme of upskilling will provide free courses covering digital awareness, data science, cybersecurity, AI and IoT. These align with the European Commission’s 2030 Digital Decade targets, aimed at enhancing EU digital competency.
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