In today’s rapidly evolving digital environment, providing access to quality education and workforce readiness is more than a mission—it’s a global responsibility. Since 1997, the Cisco Networking Academy has been at the forefront of this mission, equipping tens of millions of students around the world with essential IT, AI, cybersecurity and networking skills. But how do you really measure the impact of this initiative? And how can we ensure that it leads to sustainable change for those who need it most?
As Head of Business Insights for Cisco Networking Academy, my role includes building a robust framework for evaluating program impact. This framework goes beyond counting class enrollments and students earning badges and certifications; it’s about understanding how we engage, empower and elevate students globally.
Engage: Reach students where they are
Impact starts with engagement. It’s about meeting students in their communities—whether in rural schools in Africa and India, vocational centers in Latin America, community colleges in the United States, or wherever our independent students call home. Cisco’s partnerships with local educators, nonprofits, and governments create a tailored approach that bridges the gap between students and educational opportunities.
Educational research shows that engagement is most effective when it includes hands-on learning experiences, high-quality interactions with educators, and localized resources and support networks. Through our global partnerships, students receive the trusted quality of Networking Academy courses developed by experts around the world and delivered in their own communities. This focus on local involvement ensures that students are not just participants, but also active and supported learners.
Empower: Building Skills That Matter
It is not enough to engage students; we need to provide them with skills that will enable them to meet the demands of the real world. The Cisco Networking Academy curriculum is designed with direct input from industry experts. This ensures that our students gain the skills that companies are actively looking for. To illustrate, according to our recent results surveys, 98% of students considered the skills they learned through the Networking Academy to be important to their careers, and 96% said they regularly use the skills they learned in their daily lives.
Cisco Networking Academy further empowers students by encouraging agency and self-determination. We have designed our education offering, pathway, delivery and certification options specifically to create opportunities for students to customize their learning goals and outcomes. Indeed, our students report compelling courses, customizable learning, and the ability to be self-paced among the top factors in their success in the program. As Networking Academy helps individuals explore and understand their educational opportunities, we help them explore and understand themselves—and realize professional aspirations they previously undreamed of or thought were out of reach.
Elevate: Creating Agents of Change
When students are engaged and empowered, they are ready to rise above their new skills and ready to soar. We measure success by how well students can use their new skills to make a positive difference for themselves and their communities. For many students, this starts with job placement. For others, the confidence gained through the Networking Academy opens doors to entrepreneurship, leadership roles and further education.
These job opportunities mean more than just a paycheck – for many of our students, they are a pathway out of poverty and a step towards long-term career growth, with 80% of students saying that taking our courses has helped them improve their financial situation.
However, the ultimate goal is to empower students to become change makers. For example, former students in India are using their skills to improve local infrastructure, while graduates in Africa have launched tech startups that hire within their communities. And 90% of our students tell us they’ve made a positive impact on their communities, often through sharing knowledge and resources. This ripple effect—when empowered students create opportunities for others—is the essence of sustainable impact.
“My goal is to create sustainable and effective solutions that improve people’s lives, such as developing renewable energy sources or designing more efficient ecosystems – Kishan, West Bengal, India
A data-driven approach to impact
Our work at Cisco Networking Academy is guided by a rigorous research and data-driven approach to impact assessment. By continually evaluating our engagement strategies, empowerment processes and promotion outcomes, we strive to refine our framework and ensure it remains effective and inclusive. And while our framework helps us measure impact, the real success stories are the stories of students whose lives are being transformed—one skill and one opportunity at a time.
As we look to the future, I invite fellow educators, policymakers, and business leaders to join us in expanding this impact.
Are you ready to be a part of this journey?
The Networking Academy is more than an educational program; is a catalyst for global change. By engaging students where they are, upskilling them and empowering them to lead, we can create a more inclusive and skilled workforce. And as we continue to gather insights and refine our framework, we remain committed to making a tangible difference to the communities we serve.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, all metrics are derived from the fiscal 2024 Student Achievement Survey, focusing on respondents who completed at least one Networking Academy course.
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