Cisco Switzerland Technology Blog / Customer References / TIE International connects IT talents to NYC with Webex

The requirements placed on the professionals of the future are immense: They need to be able to function in an increasingly insecure environment and continuously further their knowledge. They need a digital mindset for their future, and they can acquire it during the vocational training at TIE International. Cisco Webex makes an important contribution with video collaboration and interactive whiteboards.

The days of packed classrooms are over. Hanging on one teacher’s every word is as much a thing of the past as the slide rule. Modern instruction combines analog and digital learning and teaching models. “Hybrid schools and training programs are the future,” says Garif Yalak, who is responsible for the field of education at Cisco Switzerland. People at TIE International are already living this thought. “We believe we need to not only provide our students with vocational education but also teach them how to work in a global world,” says Adrian Krebs, CEO of the Swiss enterprise for ICT vocational training.

Lessons are expanding

The demand for well-educated professionals is increasing. Switzerland’s dual professional education system combines on-the-job training with vocational schools. The right mindset concerning permanent continuing education must form at an early age. At TIE International, students learn to work together with colleagues at different locations in Switzerland, with interns abroad, or with teams at other school locations – even if they never physically meet these people. ETH Zurich is a partner of TIE International: Lessons are also expanding and involving the university to a greater degree, which would be very difficult without technology.

Communication ensures project quality

Working with students on IT projects requires a particularly large amount of communication, since these teams are normally geographically dispersed. Some of the younger members are in the offices of the companies providing their training, some of them are at a school, and others are at their home office workstations. And later on, they work together on software for the digital economy and society in international remote teams.

A regular, intense exchange of information is essential – after all, IT projects are more than just bits and bytes. Good communication ensures great concepts and ideas, generates more efficient processes, and helps use technology in a targeted manner. “The Cisco Webex Board is one of our most important instruments in managing challenges,” says Adrian Krebs.

International learning environment

Collaboration on flow diagrams and program functions via Cisco Webex Board is not everything. “We are planning to offer trainee positions and jobs at our locations in Sofia or New York as well,” says Adrian Krebs. “That way, our students always receive the highest-quality training possible from the best people in their specialist field.” Here is the idea behind this concept: Students are instructed by a lecturer at ETH Zurich, an expert from a multinational company, or a visionary start-up entrepreneur, for instance.

Adrian Krebs says, “The globalized world of work literally demands digital communication, and it is an integral component of the IT training at TIE International.” For Garif Yalak at Cisco Switzerland, one thing is clear: “The future depends on knowledge that permanently changes. Digital technologies help young people, educational institutions, and the economy handle this.”

Cisco Webex Board: One solution for many applications

Collaborate and co-create: The interactive whiteboards from Cisco make it possible to steer team thinking, develop new concepts, and draft strategies in networked environments with dispersed workstations. TIE International primarily uses the simple, all-in-one device Cisco Webex Board for the following applications:

• There is no time-consuming meeting preparation. Impromptu project meetings are possible. External lecturers, such as those at the ETH, can easily take part in online courses. They are easy to set up thanks to the simplified meeting registration process.
• The powerful, wide-angle camera with automatic image settings is ideal for daily scrum and stand-up meetings: all team members are displayed.
• Online courses contain more theoretical components. Their purpose is to support students by providing targeted input. At the end of the course, the results are discussed, and students engage in a round of feedback. They highly value the wireless presentation of their results and the digital whiteboard.

Authors

Garif Yalak