Partnering with Washington for America s Networked Future

Transcription

1 Partnering with Washington for America s Networked Future A sustained economic recovery requires a skilled and well-trained workforce. Graduates who have acquired problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, in addition to specific job-related expertise, will be a crucial human resource for the United States in the years ahead. As organizations become increasingly reliant on knowledge workers and intelligent networks, Cisco Networking Academy is helping Washington prepare for sustainable, high-paying jobs by teaching the skills that employers need. A Leader in Education Innovation Cisco Networking Academy is a transformative, public-private education initiative, preparing today s students for 21st century opportunities via curricula that build knowledge and skills in information communications technology (ICT). After successfully completing the coursework, Networking Academy students are prepared to earn ICT certifications that are valued by employers in diverse industries and public-sector organizations. Courses also prepare students to pursue further education or apply these skills in their own businesses. Networking Academy is recognized worldwide as a leader in education innovation and e-learning. The curricula include instructor-led course content, online learning and skills assessments, hands-on labs, and innovative simulation technology. Core courses include IT Essentials, Cisco CCNA Discovery, CCNA Exploration, and CCNA Security. Students may then enroll in the more advanced Cisco CCNP courses. Cisco Networking Academy has enrolled more than 3 million students since its inception in Each year, Networking Academy delivers 14 courses to more than 810,000 students, in over 9,600 academies worldwide. Networking Academy partners with a broad range of education, government, and nongovernment organizations, offering courses in high schools, community colleges, universities, and nontraditional settings. Cisco is the largest networking company in the world, delivering innovations that transform how people work, live, play, and learn. As of October 31, 2009, approximately 155,571 students were enrolled in 2,425 academies in the United States and Canada. Rapid growth over the past decade has demonstrated the program s versatility in geographic reach, diversity of students, number and variety of partners, breadth and relevance of curriculum, and ability to keep pace with technical and pedagogical advances. Course content is consistent, providing students everywhere with the same knowledge and skill development. The 21st Century Workforce Strengthening instruction for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is a prerequisite to developing a well-trained, 21st century workforce. The Obama administration has announced an education initiative aimed at increasing STEM literacy and critical thinking, improving the quality of STEM teaching, and expanding STEM education and career opportunities with a focus on under-represented groups like women and minorities. Copyright Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public Information. Page 1 of 6

2 Educators have placed considerable emphasis on the science and math components of the STEM curricula. But technology and engineering are equally vital. In particular, ICT investments are expected to play a major role in generating stable, high-paying jobs and boosting the nation s GDP. In addition, a workforce that is well-schooled in ICT and engineering can help spur innovation across many industries, which in turn opens up additional business opportunities to fuel productivity and economic growth. Reaffirming and strengthening America's role as the world's engine of scientific discovery and technological innovation is essential to meeting the challenges of this century. That's why I am committed to making the improvement of STEM education over the next decade a national priority. President Barack Obama, 11/23/09 Networking Academy puts an emphasis on understanding what skills will be required in future job markets. Networking knowledge will be especially important in critical areas such as green technologies, healthcare, smart energy grids, and the push toward universal broadband deployment. Networking Academy utilizes an education infrastructure that ensures curricula will evolve to meet STEM and future learning requirements. State-of-the-Art Learning Environment The instructional approach at Networking Academy encourages student engagement, enhancing the student s ability to synthesize learning and apply it in other contexts. Four skill areas identified by education researchers as critical for 21st century workers have been integrated into the course content: Problem solving and decision making: Students practice and test their knowledge by configuring and troubleshooting networks using hands-on labs and simulation software. Creative and critical thinking: Students understand the how and why of networking by combining hands-on learning with conceptual and analytical exercises. Collaboration, communication, and negotiation: Students acquire teamwork and career-ready skills as they perform lab exercises and engage in business scenarios. Intellectual curiosity and information handling: Coursework helps students develop the ability to find, select, structure, and evaluate information. Real-world case studies give students the opportunity to develop cutting-edge problem-solving techniques. Spotlight on Community Colleges A unique feature of these institutions is their linkage with business and industry, and hence their integration into economic development. Community colleges are working to align their curricula, certifications, and degrees with new ICT jobs through Networking Academy implementations. In the United States, more than 50% of all community colleges offer Networking Academy courses. According to researchers, students today are faced with high tuition costs, a weak economy, and increased competition for admission to four-year colleges. They are more likely than at any other point in history to attend community college. As a result, community colleges have experienced a spike in enrollment. In July 2009, the Obama administration proposed a $12 billion plan called the American Graduation Initiative, aimed at supporting community colleges by funding job training and retraining programs. Copyright Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public Information. Page 2 of 6

3 As an example of how these institutions are responding to the challenge, Moraine Valley Community College in the Chicago area is leading the Center for System Security and Information Assurance (CSSIA), a consortium of seven academic institutions in five states, dedicated to developing and evaluating cyber-security curricula, and offering training programs to community college and university faculty, secondary school faculty, and students across the region. A Cisco Networking Academy training center was established at Moraine in 1998, and academy courses are an integral part of the curricula. CSSIA has developed nine undergraduate courses, nine graduate courses, and a variety of workshops that can be used as models by other institutions. The Data Behind the Demand Tables 1 and 2 outline the growth and projected demand for ICT-related careers in the nation overall, and in the state of Washington. Table 1. Projection of Select ICT Occupations in the United States 1 Occupation Employment Employment Change Average Annual Number % Openings Occupational Employment as of May Computer Support Specialists 552, ,000 71, , ,520 Computer Systems Analysts 504, , , , ,890 Network and Computer Systems Administrators Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts Computer and Information Systems Managers 309, ,000 83, , , , , , , , , ,000 43, , ,820 Table 2. Projection of Select ICT Occupations in Washington 3 Occupation Employment Employment Change Average Annual Number % Openings Occupational Employment as of May Computer Support Specialists 12,380 15, ,140 Computer Systems Analysts 12,574 16, ,940 Network and Computer Systems Administrators Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts Computer and Information Systems Managers , , , ,920 1 Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, based on data available on of Oct 31, Source: U.S. DoL, BLS, May 2008 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, 3 Source: U.S. DoL, BLS, Projections Central, Copyright Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public Information. Page 3 of 6

4 The Impact in Washington The partnership between Cisco Networking Academy and Washington has touched the lives of 15,486 students and generated an estimated contribution valued at $8,448,288 to education in the state. Tables 3-4 provide detailed information on the current academies, curricula, and education levels in the state. Table 3. Cisco Networking Academy in Washington 1 Students 2,669 Female students 15% Distinct cumulative students (having successfully completed at least one course) 15,486 Academies 43 Instructors 76 Education Level (students/academies at more than one ed level are distributed proportionately) Secondary Schools Community Colleges Universities Other 2 Students 32% 65% 0% 2% Academies 47% 49% 0% 5% Curricula 3 (students/academies that take/teach multiple curricula are counted more than once) ITE CCNA 1, 2 CCNA 3, 4 Advanced Technologies/ Other 4 Students 25% 73% 22% 3% Academies 42% 77% 58% 26% Contribution value 5 (estimated cumulative value to academies, including donations and discounts) $8,448,288 1 Source: MRE FULL Package of Quarterly Metrics_ _v1.xls 2 Includes community-based organizations, middle schools, military, nontraditional educational settings, and post-graduate institutions 3 Source: MRE reports 4075_MASTER P51_v2_with Country Totals.xlsx 4 Includes CCNA Security, CCNP, Security, Wireless, IP Telephony, Java, UNIX and Panduit Network Infrastructure Essentials (PNIE) 5 Source: MRE report MASTER IN-KIND CONTRIBUTION for USCAN as of _v1.xlsx Table 4. Active Academies in Washington 6 Active academies are defined as those that have taught a class with at least 3 distinct student assessments, or adopted a new curriculum, within the last 12 months. Number of Districts With Networking Academies Without Networking Academies % Penetration % Congressional District 1 Central Kitsap High School (Silverdale) Edmonds Community College (Lynnwood) North Kitsap Academy (Poulsbo) Olympic High School (Bremerton) Congressional District 2 Whatcom Community College (Bellingham) Congressional District 3 Clark College (Vancouver) *Education Service District 113 (Olympia) New Market Vocational Skill Center (Tumwater) Prairie High School (Brush Prairie) South Puget Sound CC (Tumwater) White Pass High School (Randle) Congressional District 4 Big Bend Community College (Moses Lake) Copyright Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public Information. Page 4 of 6

5 Columbia Basin Civilian Conservation Corps (Moses Lake) Mabton School District (Mabton) Perry Technical Institute (Yakima) Yakima Valley Community College (Yakima) Congressional District 5 Central Valley High School (Spokane Valley) Chase Middle School (Spokane) Cheney High School (Cheney) John Rogers High School (Spokane) Lewis and Clark High School (Spokane) *Spokane Community College CATC (Spokane) *Walla Walla Community College (Walla Walla) Congressional District 6 *Bates Technical College Cisco Academy (Tacoma) Clover Park Technical College (Lakewood) North Beach School District (Ocean Shores) Olympic College (Bremerton) Peninsula College (Port Angeles) Sequim School District (Sequim) Congressional District 7 Digital Bridge Technology Academy Franklin High School Nathan Hale High North Seattle Community College Seattle Central Community College South Seattle Community College Congressional District 8 Bellevue Comm. College (Credit Local) (Bellevue) *Bellevue Continuing Education (Bellevue) Newport High School (Bellevue) Congressional District 9 Green River Community College - Kent Campus (Kent) Sea Tac Occupatoinal Skills (Seatac) Yelm High School (Yelm) * Indicates Cisco Networking Academy Training Center 6 Source: MRE/Academy Connection, Congressional_Report_VLOOKUP_December_08_2009_Final_ch1.xlsx Student and Community Impact At 18, Gabe Cornman was balancing full-time employment and his senior year of high school, along with participating in SkillsUSA competitions and traveling nearly 40 miles to attend Cisco Networking Academy courses all to fulfill his dream of working in the technology industry. Gabe s interest in technology began at any early age. He had always been interested in how things worked. I would take apart anything that looked interesting and try to see how it worked, then put it back together. Gabe learned about Networking Academy from a friend who attended the New Market Skills Center in Tumwater. In 2007, Gabe began Cisco CCNA courses there, and thrived on the format of Networking Academy curriculum. I have a unique style of learning. I tend to excel in a hands-on environment, rather than one that s by the book. I would enter the classroom in the morning and find a piece of paper on my desk with a network topology on it. My instructor would tell me to implement the infrastructure in hardware, using some advanced configuration that I hadn t learned yet. Gabe also began competing in SkillsUSA competitions. In 2008, after a rigorous three-day competition, Gabe took the top honor and won the gold medal in the SkillsUSA Internetworking national championship. Copyright Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public Information. Page 5 of 6

6 The competition was more difficult than I thought it would be, but I really loved the sense of excitement. It was so awesome to be there, sizing each other up, wondering who was going to be the big winner. Gabe s success in Networking Academy courses and his performance at the competition have led to a job as a network support technician at the New Market Skills Center. His future educational plans include obtaining additional Cisco and Microsoft certifications. I ve learned how networking works from the ground up, thanks to Cisco Networking Academy, and I m helping to build and maintain the backbone of our society in this new age of nearly universal Internet access. I m working with software and hardware that I have never had experience with before. There are days when I find a problem so interesting that I don t want to leave. Several people have told me that if you find a job you love, you ll never work another day in your life. This job really makes me feel that way. Learn More For additional information, impact stories, and Cisco Networking Academy contacts in your area, visit our website: Copyright Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public Information. Page 6 of 6