Cisco teams up with DSIT to drive digital skills adoption

Cisco has announced a partnership with the UK's Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) to support digital skills development across the country.

The strategic collaboration with the technology department will support the government's AI Opportunities Action Plan, which aims to provide skills courses to more than 10 million people by 2030.

Cisco noted that the move will also support the government's TechFirst program, which is designed to provide one million secondary school students with access to "technology and AI learning experiences".

Cisco Networking Academy will play a key role in the partnership, with the company committing to contributing over 8,000 hours of employee volunteering for educational schemes over the next four years. And there will also be work experience opportunities for 7,000 students across London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Glasgow.

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"We believe a digital society that works for everyone isn't out of reach. Neither is it the responsibility of one group of people or organisations," Sarah Walker, CEO of Cisco UK & Ireland.

"That is why collaboration matters. Today's announcement marks a year of progress towards our commitment to help create a more inclusive, digital UK and Ireland, with a clear path to future impact."

Supporting tech skill development

The move from Cisco comes a year after the networking firm unveiled its UK & Ireland Manifesto to coincide with London Tech Week.

This outlined the company's commitment to "help everyone benefit from a more digitally inclusive society" by providing skills and career opportunities for people from a range of backgrounds.

A year on from the manifesto launch, Cisco said it has made "tangible progress" across three key areas of the pledge:

• Growing its presence in communities
• Developing digital skills
• Activating its people and partners

Cisco has scaled up skills development schemes significantly over the last year, launching a series of partnerships aimed at creating learning pathways for careers in AI, cybersecurity, and networking. The networking firm has worked with more than 100 organizations to support skills development, including through its apprenticeship and levy donation programme with Multiverse.

The company also revealed it has helped 100,000 people build skills and expertise through the Cisco Networking Academy over the last 12 months. Marking a significant step toward its goal of supporting one million learners across the country by 2030.