Impact in Ontario. Partnering with Ontario to Educate Canada s Workforce. A Leader in Education Innovation

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1 Impact in Ontario Partnering with Ontario to Educate Canada s Workforce A sustained economic recovery requires a skilled and well-trained workforce. To reach their full potential as a vital resource for the nation, graduates now need to acquire problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, in addition to specific job-related expertise. As organizations become increasingly reliant on innovative workers and intelligent networks, Cisco Networking Academy is helping Canada prepare for stable, high-paying jobs by teaching the skills that employers need. A Leader in Education Innovation Cisco Networking Academy is a transformative, technology education program that prepares college- and career-ready students for the 21st century with curricula that builds information communications technology (ICT) and networking knowledge and skills. Networking Academy is recognized worldwide as a leader in education innovation and e-learning. The courseware is developed by Cisco and delivered through public and private education organizations. Curricula include instructor-led course content, online learning and skills assessments, hands-on labs, and innovative simulation and gaming technology. Core courses include IT Essentials, CCNA (Cisco Certified Networking Associate) Discovery, CCNA Exploration, and CCNA Security. Students may then enroll in the more advanced CCNP (Cisco Certified Networking Professional) courses. Successful completion of the course work prepares Networking Academy students to take exams and earn ICT certifications that are valued by employers in diverse global industries and public-sector organizations. Courses also prepare students to pursue further education or apply these skills in their own businesses. As of October 31, 2010, approximately 167,000 students were being taught by 4214 instructors in 2388 academies across the United States and Canada. Rapid growth over the past decade has One million students engaged this year in 165 countries makes Cisco Networking Academy one of the world s largest classrooms. Since its inception in 1997, more than 3.75 million students have been enrolled, attending courses offered at local high schools, community colleges, universities, and nontraditional settings. Cisco uses the network to connect students and instructors, and to partner with over 10,000 education institutions, while delivering 1 million online assessments per month, around the world. Networking Academy cultivates partnerships with a broad range of education, government, NGOs and private organizations to advance education. Cisco is the worldwide leader in networking for the internet, delivering innovations that change how we work, live, play and learn Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 1 of 8

2 demonstrated the program s success and versatility with its geographic reach, the diversity of students, the number and variety of partners, the breadth and relevance of curricula, and its ability to keep pace with technical and pedagogical advances. Course content is consistent, providing students everywhere the same knowledge, skills development, and assessments. Unique to Networking Academy is a focus on instructor professional development and its creation of communities to support both instructors and students. Instructors receive training prior to teaching their first class. They also get many professional development opportunities throughout the year, and access to peer communities where they can collaborate and share best practices online and in person. Students become part of a global network that helps them to troubleshoot coursework and prepare for exams, while also providing mentors, and encouragement to one another. National Education Standards for a 21st Century Workforce There is a growing concern on the part of government, foundations, and business organizations about the ability of our future workforce not only to enable economic recovery, but also meet the challenges of global economic competition. Several efforts are under way to help schools identify requirements for more rigorous studies that will improve outcomes, develop career-ready skills, and stimulate student interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (recognized internationally as STEM). An example of one of these efforts is the Focus on Information Technology (FIT). This is a unique program developed by the Information and Communication Technology Council (ICTC) in conjunction with the ICT industry to enable a workforce for economic growth. The program is a two-year high school course designed to teach the necessary technical, business and interpersonal skills through observation, investigation and action. According to Prime Minister Harper, a key to building a stronger economy for Canada is to create high-quality jobs in the science and technology sectors. The foundation for those jobs, and for many ICT-related positions in other sectors, can be gained at Cisco Networking Academy. The emphasis on technology is a common theme in many of the nation s education efforts. With our increasingly Internet-centric world, most careers in this century will require a strong understanding of how to take full advantage of technology-enabled communications and business processes. Educators want to use technology in their classrooms to better engage students, develop skills, and extend the learning experience. 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. ICT investments are expected to play a major role in generating stable, high-paying jobs and boosting the nation s GDP. Networking Academy combines an emphasis on education standards and the skills that 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. The educational infrastructure at Networking Academy helps to ensure that the program s curricula will evolve to deliver technology knowledge and skills that can meet 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: 2011 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 2 of 8

3 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 individual and teamwork skills as they perform lab exercises and engage in business scenarios through gaming, all which prepares them for the job world. Intellectual curiosity and information handling: Students develop the ability to locate, 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 link to 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. 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. Community colleges are also an invaluable resource for adults seeking to acquire new skills that are needed by employers. As a result, community colleges have experienced a spike in enrollment. The Data Behind the Demand Tables 1 and 2 outline the growth and projected demand for ICT related careers in the nation and province. Table 1. Projection of selected ICT occupations in Canada 1 Canada Occupation Projections Employment Estimated Total Midrange Hiring Requirements Computer and Information Systems Managers 45,822 50,734 12,819 Information Systems Analysts and Consultants 144, ,533 39,059 User Support Technicians 64,896 80,428 22,750 Telecommunication Carrier Managers 10,433 11,482 2,984 Computer Network Technicians 48,782 50,876 8,548 Broadcast Technicians 2,763 2, Source: ICTC, Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 3 of 8

4 Table 2. Projection of selected ICT occupations in Ontario 1 Ontario Occupation Projections Estimated Total Midrange Hiring Requirements Computer and Information Systems Managers 6,692 Information Systems Analysts and Consultants 20,230 User Support Technicians 10,610 Telecommunication Carrier Managers 1,529 Computer Network Technicians 3,870 Broadcast Technicians Source: ICTC, The Impact in Ontario The partnership between Cisco Networking Academy and Ontario has touched the lives of 42,939 students, and generated an estimated in-kind contribution value of CDN $18,550,599 to education in Ontario. Table 3. Cisco Networking Academy in Ontario 1 Students 8,005 Female students 8% Distinct cumulative students 42,939 Instructors 156 Academies 73 Education level (students/academies at more than one education level are counted proportionately) Secondary Schools Community Colleges Universities Other 2 Students 26% 45% 28% 0% Academies 58% 33% 9% 1% 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 24% 69% 23% 9% Academies 42% 78% 51% 26% In-kind contribution value 5 (estimated cumulative value to academies including donations and discounts) CDN $18,550,599 1 Source: Quarterly Metrics, October Includes community-based organizations, middle schools, military, nontraditional educational settings, and post-graduate institutions 3 Source: MRE report 4415P51, November Includes CCNA Security, CCNP, Security, Wireless, IP Telephony, Java, UNIX and Panduit Network Infrastructure Essentials (PNIE) 5 Source: MRE report 4549, November CDN value based on Cisco s Fiscal Year 2011 averaged Exchange Rate of Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 4 of 8

5 Table 4. Active academies in Ontario 1 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. An asterisk indicates a Cisco Networking Academy Training Center. * Agincourt Collegiate Institute (Agincourt) *Algonquin College (Ottawa) All Saints Catholic High School (Kanata) Assumption College School (Brantford) Barton Secondary School (Hamilton) Bear Creek Secondary School (Barrie) *Cambrian College (Sudbury) *Canadore College of Applied Arts and Technology (North Bay) Cardinal Newman Catholic S.S. (Stoney Creek) Carleton University (Ottawa) *Centennial College (Scarborough) Central Technical School (Toronto) Certification Training Centre (Scarborough) *College Boreal (Sudbury) Conseil des Écoles Catholiques du Centre-Est (Orleans) Crestwood Secondary School (Peterborough) David & Mary Thomson CI (Scarborough) Denis Morris High School (Saint Catharines) Dufferin-Peel CDSD (Mississauga) *Durham College (Oshawa) École secondaire catholique Marie- Rivier (Kingston) École Secondaire Franco-Cité (Sturgeon Falls) Everest College, Brampton (ACC) (Brampton) Everest College, Kitchener (ACC) (Kitchener) Everest College, London (ACC) (London) Everest College, Ottawa (ACC) (Ottawa) Everest College, Scarborough (ACC) (Scarborough) Everest College, Sudbury (ACC) (Sudbury) Everest College, Toronto (ACC) (Toronto) *Fanshawe College of Applied Arts and Technology (London) *George Brown College (Toronto) George Brown College CE (Toronto) George Harvey Collegiate Institute (Toronto) Georges Vanier Secondary School (Toronto) *Georgian College of A.A. and Tech. (Barrie) Glendale Secondary School (Hamilton) H. B. Beal Senior Secondary (London) *Halton District School Board (Oakville) *Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board (Hamilton) Highland Secondary School (Dundas) Holy Trinity Catholic High School (Simcoe) Holy Trinity High (Kanata) Holy Trinity Secondary School Courtice (Courtice) Humber College of Applied Arts & Technology (Toronto) *La Cite Collegiale (Ottawa) Lambton College of Applied Arts and Technology (Sarnia) Marc Garneau Collegiate (Don Mills) *Mohawk College (Hamilton) Northern College of Applied Arts & Technology (South Porcupine) Northview IT Academy (Toronto) Père-René-de-Galinée (Cambridge) Pine Ridge Secondary School (Pickering) Pre-Apprenticeship Training Institute (Toronto) Queen Elizabeth High School (Sioux Lookout) R.H. King Academy (Toronto) *SA W.A. Porter C.I. (Scarborough) Saint Michael Catholic High School (Niagara Falls) Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology (Sault Ste. Marie) Saunders Academy (London) *Seneca College of Applied Arts & Technology (North York) Sherwood High School (Hamilton) Sinclair Secondary School (Whitby) *Sir Sandford Fleming College (Peterborough) Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School (Stoney Creek) St. Clair College of Applied Arts and Technology (Windsor) St. Jean de Brebéuf High School (Hamilton) St. Thomas More High School (Hamilton) *University of Ontario Institute of Technology (Oshawa) 2011 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 5 of 8

6 Waterdown District High (Waterdown) Waterloo Collegiate Institute (Waterloo) Western Technical-Commercial School (Toronto) Yorkdale Secondary School & Adult Learning Centre (Toronto) 1 Source: Academy Briefing Book November 2010 The Impact in Ontario In the 1960s, the iconic American television show, Star Trek, depicted an African-American female communications officer. The character famously inspired Dr. Mae Jemsion to join the space program, and she became the first African-American woman to fly aboard the Space Shuttle. The lesson in role models was not lost on Dan Harmer, a long-time Star Trek fan and a teacher at Cardinal Léger Secondary School in Brampton, Ontario. Dan has been teaching for 30 years. For more than half of that time, he was a special education teacher. About 15 years ago, he decided that it was time to reach for the stars himself and become a computer science educator. With absolutely no formal technology background, Dan began taking computer science courses through the Ontario Ministry of Education. In 2001, he was introduced to the Cisco Networking Academy program, and worked summers to take Cisco CCNA courses. He is planning to earn his CCNA and Cisco CCAI certification. While he thoroughly enjoyed teaching computers and networking to high school students, Dan felt a nagging dissatisfaction with the lopsided performance of the boys and girls in his classes. The girls tended to stay in the back of the room and not contribute. It was clearly not a question of aptitude, ability, or even interest, because they performed just as well as the boys on tests. Even more disheartening was the fact that the enrollment of girls in computer science classes was declining each year a frustrating trend that Dan heard echoed at the annual Cisco Networking Academy conferences. What, Dan wondered, accounted for the quieter performance of girls in the classroom? And was there some way to engage more female students to turn the tide of falling enrollment? An experienced teacher, as well as the father of a teenage girl, Dan had a strong theory about the dynamics of the classroom environment and social pressures, and how those might affect the performance of girls working alongside boys in technology classes. He went to Dolores Proietti, principal of Cardinal Léger, and proposed an untested concept in the Canadian school system: an all-girls computer science class. Principal Proietti agreed to the experiment. With fewer and fewer girls signing up for computer classes, what was there to lose? Without any fanfare, the very next class was divided into boys and girls. After initial uncertainty among the girls, one of the comments Dan heard was, Maybe this will help me focus on my studies. Dan s instincts were right: the all-girls class began to flourish Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 6 of 8

7 The response to the all-girls class exceeded my expectations. They speak up and show their enthusiasm. They don t fade into the background anymore. I sense they know that they ve started something special at our school and in their lives. They know that what they do in these courses will be important to their futures, as well as future girls at this school, and perhaps schools across Canada. They may not know it yet, but they re already role models. The class is currently offered in grade 10. The students take CCNA Discovery 1, followed by IT Essentials. Eight classes are available through the Cisco Networking Academy program at the school. The girls have asked for a continuation of the all-girls classes, which Principal Proietti and Dan hope to see as well, if there are enough girls for a dedicated grade 11 class. Dan never loses sight of the importance of role models, either. The local Cisco office in Toronto was enthusiastic about helping. Three Cisco engineers: Trina Alexson, Hena Prasanna, and Tiffany Hsieh, came to Cardinal Léger to talk about their journeys and challenges from young adults to successful IT professionals. Dan comments: The girls were clearly impressed by how these women have fought for educational and career opportunities from a very young age. The girls also had the opportunity to tour Bell Canada s Network Operations Center, and talk to networking specialists managing and supporting the nationwide network of a telecommunications giant. Without a doubt, one of the great highlights of the term was a face-to-face meeting that Cisco arranged with another all-female class from the African Center for Women in Information and Communications Technology (ACWICT) Cisco Networking Academy in Nairobi, Kenya. Cisco TelePresence connected the girls and their teachers in Toronto, London, and Kenya. The girls were buzzing with excitement when they saw each other via TelePresence. One of Dan s students asked the ACWICT girls, Do you want to be an engineer when you graduate? The answer I want to be an IT manager brought a wild burst of applause. See the video of their visit, including the TelePresence meeting, at the Cisco Networking Academy Impact Stories page: Every province in Canada is facing a shortage in skilled technology workers, according to report from the Information and Communications Technology Council. In fact, the report estimates that close to 90,000 jobs may go unfilled over the next three to five years. Dan hopes that some of the girls he is teaching today, and the ones who will follow in their footsteps, will fill jobs like these. He hopes that he has created an environment in which these teenage girls can move beyond stereotypes and peer pressure to pursue careers in male-dominated fields without fear or doubt Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 7 of 8

8 Find out what you love. Pursue what you love, and you will have a fulfilling career. I still believe in encouraging students to set bold goals and reach for them with confidence. Learn More For additional information, impact stories, how you can get involved, and contacts in your area, visit our website: Cisco, the Cisco logo, Cisco TelePresence, and Cisco Networking Academy are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco s trademarks can be found at Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. (1009R) 2011 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 8 of 8