A welcome from Gene Longo, Senior Manager of U.S. Cisco Networking Academy Program Field Operations

As our U.S. Academies return for a new school year, the Cisco Networking Academy Program team would like to welcome you back with this Back to School issue of our Networking Academy Newsletter.

This year, we want to highlight how the Academy program is helping to support American competitiveness through our rigorous and relevant Information Technology curriculum. It is the relationships with you, the education community, that make this program a success and provide a trained technical workforce for our country.

As we begin our 10th year, we will highlight best practices at state and local levels at both secondary and post-secondary institutions. We will continue to spotlight workforce readiness through our Promoting IT Careers initiative, and we hope to celebrate the impact the program has had on students and graduates across the county.

We hope you'll find these newsletters both informative and useful. I welcome your feedback and encourage you to contact my team. Here's to a great start to the 2006-07 school year!

P.S.: "Differentiating to Attract Top IT Students" is an excerpt from a recent article that I authored and contributed to University Business Magazine. Read the article in its entirety.

White House Highlights Cisco Networking Academy Program in Radio Address

Following his visit to the Cisco Systems San Jose Campus, President George W. Bush highlighted Cisco Systems and the Cisco Networking Academy Program in his weekly radio address on April 22, as he announced his American Competitiveness Initiative. President Bush discussed how Cisco and the Networking Academy program are preparing the next generation for the high-tech jobs of tomorrow, while helping to ensure the competitiveness of America in the world economy.

Listen to the audio clip

Offering a Cisco Network Academy Allows Colleges and Universities to Stand Apart from Their Peers

There is a common misconception that there are fewer employment opportunities in the IT field today, which has contributed to the dramatic decline of students enrolling in science and engineering courses. In reality, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that demand for IT professionals will grow by nearly 50 percent through 2012, with over 1.5 million new computer and IT related job openings. However, studies report that the United States will only have half that many qualified graduates because of the declining number of students enrolling in math and science courses. Thus, it's of paramount importance to raise awareness that there will be increasing numbers of opportunities in the IT field in the years ahead.

As colleges and universities compete to attract top IT students, they must provide programs and courses that offer prospective students a competitive edge once they enter the business world. Incorporating programs such as the Cisco Networking Academy helps institutions provide students with the practical skills that will prepare students to hit the ground running in the IT field, plus an understanding of how these mission-critical network operations drive everyday business functions. In addition, the Cisco Networking Academy Program provides opportunities for colleges and universities to collaborate with businesses in activities such as job placement programs where students are exposed to career opportunities while helping to build a pipeline of technically proficient IT professionals. With today's high cost of higher education, benefits such as linking qualified graduates with potential employers are often a determining factor in persuading top students to choose one college or university over another. >More

CNNMoney.com: The 10 Fastest-Growing Jobs

Five of the top 10 fastest-growing occupations identified by Business 2.0 are in IT. See the top 10 list.

If you're looking for a job that's here to stay, here's a counterintuitive piece of advice: Look into tech. It's one of several sectors on our list that is slated for the sharpest job growth between now and 2014.

Read the full article

Promoting IT Careers is a career development and job placement strategy within the Cisco Networking Academy Program, which is designed to:

• Increase student awareness of networking and IT career pathways
• Create scalable models for launching Networking Academy students and graduates into IT careers
• Help Networking Academy students and graduates transfer skills from the classroom to the workplace

Each of the articles below focuses on events, strategies, and important information related to the Cisco Networking Academy Program's commitment to IT and networking career pathways for students and graduates.

CertMag.com: Cisco Networking Academy Raises Profile of IT Careers

It's been a good year for the Cisco Networking Academy, which has the mission of promoting IT careers to high school and college students. The past 12 months have included unprecedented levels of interest in the program's Job Shadow Day and networking events, as well as a visit to an Academy from President Bush.

News@Cisco: Cisco ''Promoting IT Careers'' Initiative Builds on Strength of Cisco Networking Academy Program

Anticipated Shortage of IT Professionals Sparks Effort to Attract More Technology Students

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that demand for IT professionals will grow by nearly 50 percent through 2012, with more than 1.5 million new computer- and IT-related job openings. The same study reports that the United States will have only half that many qualified graduates because of the declining number of students enrolling in math and science courses. To address this trend, Cisco Systems and the Cisco Networking Academy Program are teaming up to promote IT careers in the United States. The multifaceted initiative includes Job Shadow Days, NetWork Strategic Recruiting Events, and All Academy Days.

Read the full article

Networking Academy Students Excel in Ninth Annual SkillsUSA Internetworking Contest

The annual SkillsUSA Championships concluded June 23 in Kansas City, Missouri.
SkillsUSA is the national organization for students in trade, industrial, technical, and health occupations education. It sponsors the SkillsUSA Championships annually to recognize the achievements of career and technical education students.

More than 4700 outstanding career and technical education students joined in the excitement of hands-on competition in 84 different trade, technical, and leadership fields. The 53 Internetworking contestants came from 39 states and 49 Cisco Networking Academies. >More

In the past year, our Metrics and Research team has collaborated with the Cisco Learning Institute to compile a job framework that outlines both job titles and skill sets that are relevant in the IT industry.

This job framework is being shared through a series of three short VODs (videos on demand), which are available below. Select any link to view the video.

Job Framework, Part 1 (July)

 Job Framework, Part 2 (August)

 Job Framework, Part 3 (September)

Additional resources

• U.S. Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration: U.S. job data by state
• U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational outlook for careers in IT
• Information Technology Association of America
• CIO update: 2006 Hiring Trends
• Salary.com: Salary data
• Certification Magazine: The Value of certifications

Students, Instructors, and Institutions Lauded for Excellence in Academic Pursuits, Professional Development, and Relationship Building

On September 12, Cisco Systems announced the winners of its 3R Award Program, developed by the Cisco Networking Academy Program to recognize students, instructors, and schools that demonstrate excellence in the categories of Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships. The Cisco Networking Academy is a global training program that provides students with networking technical skills.

Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships are the three Rs that lead to the success of the Cisco Networking Academy Program and its participants.

• The Rigor category recognizes students who take advantage of their Networking Academy program experience in pursuit of post-secondary degrees, instructors who encourage them to do so, and Networking Academy programs that create bridges to support this objective.
  
  
• In the Relevance category, participants demonstrate how they apply what they have learned or have taught through the Networking Academy program by participating in career development opportunities such as internship programs and job shadowing events.
  
  
• The Relationships category recognizes participants who have built strategic relationships with businesses and other organizations that extend the reach of the Networking Academy program and create new opportunities for success.

"We are pleased to acknowledge Cisco Networking Academy students, instructors, and institutions that exemplify the core values of Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships," said Gene Longo, senior manager of the Cisco Networking Academy Program, United States. "Academic rigor and successful models for demonstrating the relevance of Academy program skills form the foundation of student success. The development of strategic relationships extends the reach of the Networking Academy program beyond the traditional academic context. The 3R awards recognize students, instructors, and Academy programs that demonstrate excellence in these areas and have helped the program to flourish."

See the list of award recipients