Cisco Systems Joins National Groundhog Job Shadow Day Efforts

Beginning on February 2, 2006, and continuing through the spring, Cisco Systems will host a series of Groundhog Job Shadow Day events across the United States. More than 3,000 students will participate in events hosted on Cisco and Cisco Networking Academy campuses. Groundhog Job Shadow Day is an important initiative that allows students to explore careers while learning about future trends and opportunities in IT.

A report from the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA reveals a 60 percent decline in incoming undergraduates planning to major in computer science from the fall of 2000 to 2004. Statistics such as these are causing growing concerns among technology companies. In fact, a recent McKinsey survey of 251 CIOs and chief technology officers showed that "finding talent" was the managerial challenge that will likely have the most significant effect on strategy execution over the next five years.

Job shadowing can be an important first step in pointing students toward IT careers. An event as simple as a guest speaker in your classroom can encourage students to pursue careers in math, science, and technology. Hearing about job requirements from IT professionals helps students relate their classroom experiences to the workplace and start planning their career paths. You’ll find lots of ideas for hosting a successful event on this Website, and we encourage you to get involved.

We encourage you to explore the tools and resources available through this Website. It contains everything you need to host a successful Job Shadow Day event.

Please remember to register your eventso we can send you promotional giveaways for the participants and a gift of appreciation.

You may contact either Workplace Learning Manager Peter Joyce at pjoyce@cisco.com or Networking Academy Support Representative Melody Buchanan at melody.buchanan@ciscolearning.org.

Thank you for promoting careers in IT. Happy Groundhog Job Shadow Day!