Press Release Archive

Cisco’s Networking Academy Program Accredited with UCAS Points

LONDON, - February 1 - Cisco® today announced that the OCR(Oxford, Cambridge and Royal Society of Arts examinations) Certificate and Diploma for IT Professionals (iPRO), a course that comprises learning units from the Cisco Network Academy® Program and other private sector technology enterprises, have been accredited with University and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) points. The accreditation increases the opportunity for Networking Academy program students to further their studies at university level.

The iPRO course, taught at 565 Networking Academy programs in the UK, is designed to help students develop skills relevant to the workplace. “Today’s announcement represents a major step towards the closer alignment of secondary education with higher education, while at the same time addressing the explicit IT skills need of UK industry. Companies of all sizes are crying out for skilled IT workers. The iPRO course gives students the vocational training that employers need,” said Nick Watson, vice president for enterprise, Cisco UK and Ireland.

The iPRO qualification acts as bridge from A-level education to industry. Cisco’s learning units help students gain real-world skills by combining the theory and practice of designing and implementing information technology (IT) networks. With UK productivity and competitiveness high on the political agenda, courses like iPRO are a crucial part of building a stronger, more capable workforce.

“At John Kelly Technology College we welcome the news that the iPRO Certificate and Diploma are at last gaining the recognition they deserve. This move can only encourage students to grasp the opportunity to enroll in courses that they can be confident will provide them not just with knowledge and understanding, but also that most sought-after and vital asset: practical experience. We are delighted with the news,” said Chris Drage, Cisco Regional Academy Manager, John Kelly Technology College.

In 2005, Cisco and IDC conducted a study that looked at the UK’s IT networking skills shortage. The survey predicted that by 2008, the UK would be short of nearly 40,000 skilled employees in the advanced technologies space.

“It is widely recognised that there is a high demand for skilled and qualified IT professionals in the UK. According to the latest e-skills Bulletin UK, almost one in five UK businesses is actively looking to recruit professional IT staff. This represents a huge opportunity for candidates aspiring to forge a career in the sector,” said Simon Banks, senior manager at OCR.

The iPRO course includes the Cisco syllabus at levels 2 and 3. At Level 3, students who complete six units achieve the certificate standard, and those who complete eight achieve the diploma. Under the UCAS scheme, the iPRO certificate equates to 80 points, equivalent to a grade B at A-level, while the diploma is the equivalent of 100 UCAS points, the equivalent of a grade A at A-level.

Launched 1997, the Networking Academy program is a global initiative intended to prepare students for the workplace. It has been built through a public-private partnership between Cisco, governments, education institutions, nongovernmental organizations and industry. It operates in more than 150 countries and consists of more than 11,000 academies worldwide. The program has 32,000 instructors working with 1.9 million students. Currently, 22,500 students participate in the program in the United Kingdom and Ireland.