SAN JOSE, Calif., December 9, 2008 - Furthering its goals to enhance the development of information technology (IT) talent in China, Cisco today announced a series of country-specific initiatives tailored to increase China's capacity to train, employ and retain highly qualified networking and systems engineers. Authorized Cisco® Learning Solutions Partners, ITLS, NIIT and FastLane will offer a complete range of Cisco training and certification preparation courses to students and professionals in more than 100 training centers across 31 cities throughout the country.
By designating three authorized Cisco Learning Solutions Partners and by opening professional training facilities, Cisco aims to narrow the 430,000-person gap between present employment levels and the number of networking professionals the country is projected to need by 2012.
"As globalisation will continue to transform countries, economies and business models, China is looking to develop a talent base with skills that are market-driven," said Wim Elfrink, executive vice president, Cisco Services & chief globalisation officer at Cisco. "The launch of our talent development initiative in China underscores Cisco's commitment to expand access to the IT training and certification resources that will support the country's continued economic growth."
Integral to this training development initiative, Cisco is dedicated to working with its authorized partners ITLS, NIIT and FastLane to provide localized versions of the curriculum for its popular CCNA® and CCENTTM certification programs.
"Facing the fast-growing IT industry in China, there remains a large gap between the IT talent the country has and the highly qualified IT talent the country needs. Cisco plans to roll out tailored programs to bridge this gap through cooperation with authorized partners," said Thomas Lam, president of Cisco China. "The Authorized Cisco Learning Partner program will cover a full-range of courses, offering the most advanced networking technology training available. As a leader in IT technology, Cisco is dedicated to long-term collaboration with local partners to support the IT industry's development in China."
Simplified Chinese versions of the curricula for Cisco's CCNA and CCENT certification programs are now available. Helping employers to validate a candidate's skills, both the entry-level CCENT and associate-level CCNA certifications focus on the foundational skills that IT workers need to install, operate and support today's converged networks.
Individuals may validate their knowledge by taking a certification exam at any one of 148 Pearson VUE centers located throughout China.
To learn more about the Cisco certification programs, please visit:
http://www.ciscolearningnetwork.com
Additional information about the Cisco Learning Partner channel is available at:
http://www.cisco.com/go/learningpartner
