SINGAPORE - October 11, 2006 - The Institute of Technical Education (ITE) has fine-tuned its delivery of the Cisco® Networking Academy® Program curriculum across all of its colleges in the country - ITE College Central, ITE College East and ITE College West. Previously, the three colleges were run as independent regional academies. They have now been merged into one academy, which will enable ITE to utilize its staff resources more efficiently.

The Networking Academy program comprises a comprehensive distance-learning curriculum that provides students with the Internet technology skills essential in a global economy. The Networking Academy delivers Web-based content, online assessments, student performance tracking, hands-on labs, instructor training and support, and preparation for industry-standard certifications.

The three ITEs started delivering the curriculum of the Networking Academy program in 1999, and to date, 2,800 of their students have undergone training. The institutes currently offer the following Networking Academy modules to full-time and part-time students: CCNA® Certification, IT Essentials and Panduit Networking Infrastructure Essentials (PNIE).

"We are extremely satisfied with the results of our participation in the Cisco Networking Academy Program. The program has been very well-received by our students, from the young to the mature working adults looking for a career change. The program not only provides them with a route to a potentially exciting career but also prepares them for a life in this Internet-enabled world. Now that we have consolidated our Networking Academy resources under one umbrella, we will be able to deliver the Networking Academy curriculum to an even wider group of students," said Yek Tiew Ming, the principal of ITE College West.

Regional academies play a crucial role in the Networking Academy ecosystem. Apart from delivering the curricula from the program to their own students, regional academies also train local academies.

"The ITEs are some of our strongest Networking Academy partners in Singapore, and we are delighted that they are stepping up their commitment to the program. Singapore has one of the most technically competent workforces in the world, but there are still many segments of the population who will benefit from the partnership between the ITEs and Cisco," said Craig Gledhill, managing director, Singapore and Brunei, Cisco Systems.

For more information on the Networking Academy program, please go to http://www.cisco.com/asiapac/academy/overview/index.shtml.

About ITE

The Institute of Technical Education (ITE), a statutory board under the Singapore Ministry of Education, is a postsecondary institution that provides pre-employment training to secondary school dropouts and continuing education and training to working adults. Since its establishment on 1 April 1992, ITE has developed itself into an institution well-known for its provision of a broad-based, multidisciplinary curriculum that ranges from engineering to technical, business and service skills areas. More information is available at www.ite.edu.sg.