Closing the Skills Gap – Partners, We Have Your Back

Today we face many challenges as a society, whether it be cultural conflicts, fighting to save the environment or being involved with a non-profit that supports a cause you care about. One area that has a place in my heart is reaching students around the world and providing them with an education.

Education is the gateway to success. Not only does providing an education to students help them to better their lives tremendously, but it helps us – as leaders in the technology industry, close the skills and gender gaps we are faced with. This is no easy task, as there are students around the world who are desperate for a chance at an education. It’s critical for us to reach them, and this is why I am so passionate about Cisco Networking Academy.

We are making dreams a reality. For 20 years, Cisco Networking Academy has changed the lives of over 8 million students in 180 countries by providing education, technical training and career mentorship. These are students like Soso and Chen, who have graduated and made the most of their opportunity to create better lives for themselves and their families. Seeing their stories is why our work matters; we have the opportunity to change lives, all while fueling our talent pipelines. We have a huge opportunity to make an impact – our goal is to bring new opportunities to more than 2 million students per year by 2020, and we couldn’t do it without you – our Cisco Partners.

The Cisco Partner Ecosystem is looking for talent, and the talent now exists. For our Cisco Partners, this means bringing you students to embrace new opportunities and fuel your talent pipeline. Now is the time to renew and reinvigorate our commitment to making a positive impact, closing the skills gap and bridging the gender gap. These students have a passion for learning and will be huge attributes to our industry. Together, we can provide them with an education and a gateway to a career full off success.

This is the next chapter of bettering our world – together.

To learn more about Cisco Networking Academy and how to find your future talent – click here.