Cisco Expands Talent Development Initiatives to Raise Competitiveness of Mexico's IT Industry

ACAPULCO, Mexico – Cisco Networkers – September 3, 2009 – Cisco today announced the expansion of talent development initiatives to improve the global competitiveness of Mexico's information technology (IT) industry. Furthering its goals of cultivating world wide technical talent, Learning@Cisco is providing more than 135,000 former Cisco® Networking Academy® students and other potential new IT workers with access to certification training and exams at a significantly reduced cost through its participation in Mexico FIRST, a program developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy of Mexico (MoE), the World Bank and local state governments throughout Mexico.

Key Facts/Highlights:

According to IDC's "Worldwide IT Spending 2009-2013 Forecast: The Worldwide Black Book, 2009, Preliminary," Latin America will experience 6 percent growth in the IT training and education market and 8.2 percent growth in the overall IT market in 2010.*
There are more than 135,000 Networking Academy alumni in Mexico who stand to benefit from certification training and exams at a lowered cost through this initiative.
Cisco's Learning Partners will provide individuals with the hands-on training required to complete the rigorous CCNA® certification process.

Mexico FIRST

Cisco has expanded access to authorized associate and professional-level networking certifications to thousands of aspiring IT professionals through the Mexico FIRST program.
Mexico FIRST is a nonprofit organization sponsored by the Ministry of Economy of Mexico in collaboration with the World Bank and local state governments.
Through Mexico FIRST, Mexican IT professionals and alumni will have access to better and more cost-effective networking certification programs, including those for Cisco's industry-leading CCNAÒ and CCNPÒ certifications, to support the growing global competitiveness of Mexico's IT sector.

Training and Exams:

Cisco certifications validate the knowledge and skills required to install, manage, maintain and troubleshoot the constantly evolving networks that drive innovation and economic growth for organizations around the world. These certifications represent a standard that is recognized worldwide.
Learning@Cisco has released Spanish versions of the Cisco Learning Network, CCNA course materials, exams and learning games to aid in training and certification exam preparation.
Individuals may validate their knowledge by taking a certification exam at any one of the 54 Pearson-VUE test centers located throughout Mexico.
For more information about the discounted rates for certification training and exams, please visit: http://www.mexico-first.org/images/PN CISCO.pdf
To register, please visit: http://www.mexico-first.org/in-scripciones

Supporting Quote:

"By providing educational training and certifications at a significantly reduced price, Cisco is proud to support the development of technical talent in Mexico," said Rogelio Velasco, country manager Cisco Mexico. "Public-private partnerships such as this are crucial as the global economy recovers from the economic turmoil of the last year and workers seek to develop new skills to re-enter the workforce better equipped than ever. We are delighted to partner with the World Bank and the Mexican government to help enable the growth and transformation of Mexico's economy as a whole, while providing opportunities for many individual students to realize the significant benefits of Cisco certification."

Supporting Resources:

Cisco Learning Network: http://www.ciscolearningnetwork.com
Mexico FIRST: http://www.mexico-first.org
Cisco Latin American Networking Skills Gap: http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2008/prod_031108.html
Cisco Learning Partners: http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le27/learning_learning_partner_connection_home.html
Cisco Networking Academy: http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/netacad/index.html

Social Media Destinations:

Friendfeed: www.friendfeed.com/learningatcisco
Twitter: www.twitter.com/learningatcisco
Digg: http://www.digg.com/users/learningatcisco
Del.i.cious: http://delicious.com/learningatcisco
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=learningatcisco
Google Reader: http://www.google.com/reader/shared/07543131729020791635
LinkedIn:http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=680467&trk=anetsrch_name&goback=.gdr_1236889165048_1

Technorati Tags:

Talent Development, Certifications, IT Certifications, Cisco, Cisco Learning Network, Collaboration, Mexico, Mexico FIRST, Education, CCNA, CCNP, Learning@Cisco