Cisco Systems makes further inroads in social empowerment in the Arab World

Through the initiative, Cisco and the Cisco Learning Institute work with the academies to increase student enrolment and retention to bridge the IT skills gap.

More than 2000 women participants from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have enrolled in Cisco Network Academy program, Cisco's comprehensive instructor led global e-learning program that empowers individuals to surpass the boundaries of geography, race and gender, by leveraging the power of the internet to empower people to make a difference.

The Academy program utilises a blended learning model, integrating face-to-face teaching with a web-based curriculum, hands-on lab exercises, and Internet-based assessment. Cisco Networking Academy Program graduates are prepared for networking an IT related careers in the public and the private sectors, as well as for higher education in engineering, computer science and related fields globally. A collaborative Public-Private partnership (PPP) lies at the heart of the program with various government entities and international partners, non-government organizations such as UNIFEM, UNDP and ESCWA.

Commenting on the program success in the UAE, Samer Al Kharrat, General Manager - Gulf Region and Pakistan, Cisco Systems, stated, "As an example of the collaborative effort, Cisco Networking Academy Program in Dubai had recently helped enable 17 female students from Dubai Women's College (DWC) to create a "Wireless Home" demonstration for the college's "Bazaar", an annual fair showcasing students' mini-businesses for family, friends and industry. This initiative not only demonstrated the benefits of how the Academy program empowers student to extend their knowledge of IT in general but what the program also help accomplish was support the right level of knowledge for students in order drive their interests as well as hone their business skills in search of careers in the marketplace."

Speaking at the sidelines of Gitex Dubai 2005, Kawtar Boubrahmi, a Cisco Networking Academy program graduate from Morocco said, "The program equips students to become productive member of their communities, personally and professionally. The program has provided me the essential foundation for a career in networking and simplified the concepts of advanced networking. The program transcends learning, and empowers people to bridge disparities."

Cisco's gender initiative is active across the Arab Region in countries like Morocco, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and UAE. In Morocco, Cisco Systems, USAID and UNIFEM along with the State Secretariat for Professional Training and the Ministry of Education, Government of Morocco, have launched the Cisco Networking Academy program targeted at institutions including vocational training centres and technical high schools to deliver the program under Cisco's e-Parity Gender Initiative. More than 300 women candidates have joined the Academy program since its launch in September 2004.

In Saudi Arabia the program has been instrumental in plugging the gender knowledge gap in the IT sector. There are currently 44 partners for Cisco Networking Academy program in Saudi Arabia offering a range of courses that lead to Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification, and courses that expose the learner to, essentials of Information Technology, Voice and Data Cabling. Investing in an IT workforce today prepares individuals, communities, and countries for economic development and innovation.

Commenting on the program activities in the Kingdom, Dr. Haifa Jamal Al-Lail - Dean of Effat College, a Cisco Networking Academy program Regional Academy said, "Effat College always takes precedence in initiating educational and training programs that aim to develop the qualifications of women in the kingdom in areas previously dominated by men. The Cisco programs offered by the Effat College and all its affiliated local academies are an example of this initiative. This initiative supports the wider educational plan for developing the skills of Saudi women to qualify them for taking up new careers in the field of technology."

The program has had a positive impact not only on young students directly but parents, former students, have also passed on the legacy of their acquired ICT education to the next generation. Launched in 1997, Cisco Networking Academy program has grown to more than 10000 academies in more than 150 countries. The curriculum that comprises a variety of courses for careers in network design and administration, technical support, programming, software engineering, database development and administration, is delivered in 9 languages to over 400,000 students in academies in high schools, colleges, universities, technical schools, community based organisations and other educational programs around the world.