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Cisco commits to train 100k students by 2020

Sibahle Malinga
By Sibahle Malinga, ITWeb senior news journalist.
Johannesburg, 20 Nov 2017
Cisco's free online courses include cyber security, introduction to IOT and digital literacy.
Cisco's free online courses include cyber security, introduction to IOT and digital literacy.

The Cisco Networking Academy has introduced seven free online networking and IT security courses, as part of its pledge to train an additional 100 000 students by 2020.

The Cisco Networking Academy, a flagship programme of networking firm Cisco, is aimed at boosting IT skills and career building programmes for learning institutions and individuals worldwide.

Through the newly introduced online courses, the academy says it is committed to helping South Africans develop the next generation of digital talent by working with the education department, industry and local communities.

The free online courses, which can be self-enrolled, include Get Connected (digital literacy), cyber security, introduction to the Internet of things, NDG Linux Unhatched, cyber security essentials, entrepreneurship and NDG Linux Essentials.

"The future global competitiveness of SA will be determined by our commitment as a nation, and as employers to ensure we have the skills required for a thriving digital economy," says Cathy Smith, MD of Cisco Sub-Saharan Africa.

"The education system alone cannot be expected to keep up with the increasing skills gap. As technology leaders and future employers, we are partnering with government and the education ecosystem to ensure South Africans are given more opportunities to be part of the workforce of the future."

Cisco Networking Academy, which has over 72 branches in SA, celebrated its 20th year in October. The academy says it has a channel-based business model and delivers its curriculum either through the formal education sector - through schools, colleges, TVETs and universities, and also in non-traditional environments - prisons, homeless shelters, schools for the blind and through self-enrolment.

"Not so long ago, I identified ICT as a way to lay a solid foundation for rapid and inclusive economic growth in our country. Together with Cisco, we are going to provide skills development opportunities through training, internships and mentorship for young graduates and budding entrepreneurs," says minister in the presidency Jeff Radebe.

This month, Kaspersky Lab also introduced an online course that focuses on cyber security. It allows IT specialists to gain practical skills in recognising possible attack scenarios, as well as master the mechanics of collecting preliminary data about security incidents.

Vyacheslav Borilin, security education programme manager at Kaspersky, explains: "With the ever-increasing complexity of cyber threats, the role of IT specialists and IT support teams is being transformed. The new course will help IT specialists learn how to use IT security tools such as utilities for the detailed analysis of Process Hacker/Process Explorer in the system, tools for storing the hard disk image and more."

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