Written by guest blogger, Elizabeth Barr.
Elizabeth leads the Cisco Networking Academy in the UK & Ireland, managing an ecosystem of 300+ Academies to sustain and grow the program. The Cisco Networking Academy is Cisco’s largest and longest running CSR program, having reached over 24 million learners in 190 countries since program inception.
National Apprenticeships Week is the perfect time to reflect on the importance of ensuring hands-on, practical learning when preparing the future workforce, providing a unique opportunity for individuals to gain essential industry recognised, practical experience while continuing their education. Training and education programmes like the Cisco Networking Academy (NetAcad) continue to play a pivotal role in driving the success of apprenticeships in the United Kingdom and beyond. Since inception in 1997, NetAcad has reached over 24 million learners globally and over 500,000 in the UK alone, with an estimated 4,000 apprentices engaging in Cisco Networking Academy courses every year.
Bridging the Skills Gap
The demand for skilled IT professionals is at an all-time high. Yet, there remains a significant skills gap, with many employers struggling to find qualified candidates for tech roles. NetAcad addresses this challenge by providing an industry-aligned, practical curriculum designed to prepare students for the workplace, spanning Networking, Cybersecurity, Programming, AI, and more. This includes industry certifications such as the CCNA and CCST that are highly valued by employers.
A Global Reach with Local Impact
NetAcad has a longstanding history of working with apprenticeship training providers, including Further Education (FE) Colleges and private training providers. Training providers use NetAcad’s tools, resources, and courses, at no cost, to enhance their existing apprenticeship offerings. They enjoy the practical, industry-aligned focus of NetAcad’s curriculum as this helps prepare the apprentices they train for the workplace of the future.
“Cisco’s continued support for apprenticeships and the free access to NetAcad has been a total game changer. Cisco has now expanded their provision to provide high quality resources for 1000s of apprentices, not just in Digital but now across many more disciplines. These industry level qualifications ensure apprentices are job-ready and equipped for continuous progression within the chosen profession. Moreover, NetAcad has enabled end point assessment organisations to build assessment environments to facilitate the apprentices in the completion of their apprenticeship”. John Pritchard, Head of End Point Assessment, 1st for EPA.
Helping Apprentices Stand Out from the Crowd
As a key partner within the Cisco Networking Academy ecosystem, the Open University (OU) has been using NetAcad since 2017 to develop the industry readiness of apprentices, covering essential Cybersecurity, Network Engineering and DevOps skills. This includes some Cisco apprentices who are studying towards the Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship at the OU alongside their professional rotations in different areas of the business.
Combining industry competence, the OU ensure that all apprentices gain digital badges during their academic journey, leading them towards industry certification. The OU are currently using NetAcad’s CCST Cybersecurity and CCST Networking resources, as well as the CCNA and DevOps Associate certifications. Everyone studying the degree apprenticeship is ensured professional visibility, where the badges delivered by Credly can be used on their LinkedIn profiles. In turn, certifications help develop their longer-term promotion prospects.
My apprenticeship has enhanced my decision-making and problem-solving skills, which are crucial for both my personal and professional development as a software engineer working within a team of developers. In particular, the Cisco Networking Essentials course has expanded my A-Level knowledge of network communications, as well as given me valuable insights into cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities, which are key considerations in my role as a software engineer.
Ebeny Williamson, Apprentice Software Engineer, RDT Ltd. Ebeny commenced her Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship with The Open University in October 2024 and is part way through the Introduction to Computing Technologies module featuring Cisco content.
The OU does a really good job in helping you to prepare yourself for the future parts of the course and also provides a fair amount of flexibility, which helps as an apprentice with deadlines and high priority work at unexpected times in your workplace. The Cisco modules cater for all types of learners by providing a variation of different types of learning material such as videos, images, activities, quizzes and textual documentation. This was really helpful for me as I like to learn visually, or by doing it, or at least watching someone doing it, so the Cisco content helped me learn the concepts needed for the OU module by catering for my learning needs.
Ben Summers, Apprentice Software Engineer, RDT Ltd. Ben commenced his Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship with The Open University in Feb 2024 and recently finished the Introduction to Computing Technologies module.
Promoting Diversity and Inclusion
The Cisco Networking Academy has a longstanding commitment to build a diverse tech talent pipeline, with numerous programmes and partnerships in place to encourage learners from all backgrounds to pursue STEM education and careers. It is equally crucial that we ensure underrepresented groups have equal opportunities to succeed in high-demand fields through apprenticeships, as a diverse group of apprentices brings a wide range of perspectives and experiences resulting in more creative solutions and innovative ideas.
Looking to the Future
As we look to the future, the need for skilled IT professionals will only continue to grow. Programmes like the Cisco Networking Academy are crucial in preparing the next generation of tech leaders. This National Apprenticeships Week, let’s celebrate the transformative impact of education and training programmes, and continue to support initiatives that bridge the skills gap and promote a diverse and inclusive tech workforce.
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