Cisco Networking Academy Expands ‘Skills for All’ with Entry-Level Certification for Cybersecurity Learning Pathway

Click. Tap. Swipe. Scroll. Learn. When Cisco Networking Academy launched Skills for All in July 2021, we transformed the global learning landscape with our free, mobile-first skills-to-jobs program. We made a promise to learners everywhere to meet them where they are in their learning journeys. Equipped with an Internet connection and access to a mobile phone, anyone, anywhere has the power to transform their future through education.

Since the debut of Skills for All, over 200,000 self-starters from Azerbaijan to Uruguay, and Cameroon to Canada – and every place in between – have joined our learning community and advanced through our first learning pathway for cybersecurity. Via the online platform, learners take expertly-designed courses, acquire knowledge, and develop in-demand skills to advance their education and prepare for jobs.

Skills for All with Cisco Networking Academy gives learners everywhere a pathway to careers in technology. Designed for learner success, Skills for All provides free, quality, self-paced online learning aligned to industry jobs and connects learners to in-demand entry-level IT jobs, industry certifications, and valuable career resources.

Today, Cisco Networking Academy takes another bold step forward to achieve our mission of empowering all people with career possibilities. We are making a deeper investment in our Skills for All Cybersecurity Learning Pathway with alignment to the new Certiport Information Technology (IT) Specialist Cybersecurity Certification. Developed with Cisco expertise and Certiport’s leadership in certification development, learners can earn the certification and signal their readiness for roles such as cybersecurity technician, junior cybersecurity analyst, and help desk support.

Our Cybersecurity Learning Pathway is available on www.SkillsforAll.com with courses, labs, simulations, and practice tests that prepare learners for the certification exam delivered by Certiport. Prepared learners can tap into Cisco’s Talent Bridge and take advantage of our job matching engine that features employment opportunities from more than 725 employer partners in 70 countries.

The cybersecurity certification deepens Cisco’s commitment to building an inclusive future for all, regardless of race, gender, background, location, or circumstances. The investment also bridges the widening gap between people who seek meaningful work and employers that are desperate to fill critical jobs in in-demand fields. The cybersecurity certification squarely addresses a need to prepare workers with cybersecurity skills at a time when cyberthreats are at an all time high. In just three years from now, the tech industry predicts 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs will go unfilled while cyberthreats continue unabated, according to Cybersecurity Ventures.

Ray Murray, vice president and general manager at Pearson VUE, which operates Certiport, shares the value of certification. “According to our 2020 Value of Certification study, 66% of hiring managers agree that certified candidates have a better chance of being interviewed for a role. The IT Specialist Certification helps candidates get their foot in the door and be productive in their future IT careers. We are thrilled to work with Cisco and proud to support their mission to create a more inclusive future.”

Skills for All digital badges and curriculum aligned to certifications are already transforming students’ career opportunities. Ninety percent of users say that taking courses on Skills for All has helped them reach their goals. For Ngozika Onuzulik in Nigeria, he sees measurable improvement in his IT skills because of Skills for All. He says: “This has made my jobs applications more noticeable, and I have received more invitations from employers.”

Skills for All also enriches Cisco Networking Academy, which for 24 years has provided a bridge to career opportunities for 15.1 million people in 180 countries. It also creates new opportunities for our 12,000 academies and over 29,000 instructors who can now use Skills for All’s self-paced courses to attract new students to their academic institutions and better engage today’s digital natives. Skills for All also enables instructors to elevate their online course offerings with ready-to-go engaging content including videos, gamification, and more. Further, Skills for All courses create a pipeline to additional certification-aligned courses they already teach.

It’s easy for any learner to get started on Skills for All and open the door to a successful career in information technology. Prospective learners who are ready should visit www.skillsforall.com, set up an account, and get started on their learning journeys. With Skills for All, learners decide when, how, and where to get started. All they have to do is click.

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