The opportunity to learn and grow must be open to everyone. It’s well-documented that employers are challenged by a global shortage of networking and cybersecurity professionals. Globally, 70% of IT decision makers said their teams face a shortage of skills.

Today, there are 545,000 unfilled IT jobs across the U.S. and by 2021, there will be 3.5M unfilled cybersecurity jobs alone. Additionally, a study by Cisco & Gartner found that a country’s level of digital readiness is correlated with its GDP per capita. Human capital development is critical across every stage of digital readiness, demonstrating the importance of STEM education and the economic value of digital readiness. The skills shortage is global, and coupled with a new era of automation and AI, we need to develop individuals and by doing so help countries accelerate their success.

Networking Academy is addressing this skills gap by preparing students for high demand jobs in the IT industry. Reaching 1.87M students in 2018, through partnerships with over 11,400 academies including traditional educational institutions (high schools, colleges, and universities) and non-traditional (prisons, community centers, non-profits, libraries), we create opportunities for people everywhere to learn the skills that allow them to thrive in the digital economy.

Cisco has always been about connecting people, and doing good. Cisco’s recent “Bridge to Possible” campaign was created as a launchpad for telling the powerful and authentic stories of technology impacting the world. The campaign celebrates the power of technology to “be the bridge between hope and possibility”, the bridge to overcoming the world’s greatest challenges, whether that be restoring vital communications in times of natural disasters, bringing cities into the digital age or ensuring global and inclusive access to digital skills for the jobs of the future.

Cisco’s flagship social good program, Networking Academy, helped bring this story to life. Through captivating first-hand testimonials from alumni, and partnership with Global Citizen, a global movement of citizens to end poverty, the Networking Academy stories demonstrated that education is the opportunity of a lifetime, helping people better their lives, their families and ultimately the world.

The campaign: The “Bridge to Possible” campaign aims to connect the dots between Cisco’s business, technology, and social purpose. Within this, global, omni-channel, promotions of Networking Academy targeted technology optimists and decision makers, while also reaching students, educators, and employers, all stakeholders in furthering the program’s reach. Global Citizen was a key amplification channel, sharing the company’s – and Networking Academy’s - vision of connecting citizens across the globe to solve the world’s biggest problems.

The program: Designed for the most demanding IT industry jobs, Networking Academy provides global and inclusive access to digital skills through a spectrum of learning experiences, including in-person/online instructions, simulation software, personalized assessments, innovation hackathons, and project-based and hands-on experiences.

The breadth, quality and access of courses ensure every student—regardless of race, ethnicity, accessibility needs —can participate. Students can attend courses online, take instructor-led courses locally, and once qualified connect with employers for job opportunities.

The campaign: From June 2018 to January 2019, Networking Academy’s story came to life through a variety of creative assets. Captivating videos of alumni Soso Luningo (South Africa) and Chen Liangliang (China) were taped in their home countries and shared globally through paid / organic social promotions (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn), Global Citizen’s multi-channel platform, Cisco.com and more. An interactive landing page showcased a global map of alumni stories, a live ticker against the goal to reach 2M students annually, and directed key stakeholders (students, educators, employers) to the resources get involved.

The program: Networking Academy leverages a network of 11,400 academies and 24,700 instructors, providing education, technical training, and career mentorship. The program offers a rich learning portfolio including 30+ courses in up to 25 languages that prepare students with the skills for high-demand entry level IT jobs. This learning portfolio along with simulation/visualization tools are licensed free to educators.

Networking Academy’s success is measured by lives changed, opportunities created:

Since 1997: 9.26M students enrolled, across 180 countries

2018: 1.87M+ students enrolled

2018: 28% of students female (higher female representation in specific countries incl Oman (68%), UAE (53%), Peru (46%), Nigeria (44%))

1.7M students taking CCNA Routing & Switching courses found jobs between FY05-FY18

Networking Academy’s Talent Bridge career matching engine: available in 15 languages; since 2018, 200 employers posted 10,000+ entry-level jobs; 10,000 students registered & 6,400 students connected to job opportunities

The campaign:

Social media: 2M impressions, 17,900 engagements

Alumni videos: 773K+ total views (Soso: 424K + Chen: 349K+)

Interactive landing page: ~80K views, 57K unique visits

CEO Chuck Robbins joined alumni Soso Luningo on-stage at the Global Citizen Festival in Johannesburg with 70K attendees, sharing Soso’s inspiring story and announcing Networking Academy’s goal to reach 10M students in the next five years.