There isn’t a denying that the digital capabilities of any nation, enterprise, or entity considerably affect its competitiveness on the world stage or within the international market. Leveraging safe digital applied sciences permits organizations to enhance effectivity and productiveness, reply to market calls for sooner, and innovate successfully. Nevertheless, and not using a expert workforce—whether or not it’s fundamental IT expertise or extra superior competence in AI, cybersecurity, or networking—the total potential of these digital capabilities won’t ever be absolutely realized.
The Cisco 2024 AI Readiness Index highlights the extent of the problem: solely 9% of EU companies are assured of their workforce’s expertise, in comparison with 21% in the USA. This hole indicators an pressing want for strategic funding in digital expertise improvement—a driving motive for my go to to Brussels this week to have interaction policymakers, thought leaders, and different stakeholders.
AI and cybersecurity are usually not merely technological buzzwords; they’re transformative forces reshaping societies and economies. And the digital expertise that energy AI and cybersecurity options would be the basis for the EU to thrive on this new digital age.
In March 2023, Cisco pledged to assist the EU Cybersecurity Expertise Academy and practice 250,000 folks throughout Europe in cybersecurity over three years. I’m proud to share that we now have already surpassed this goal—coaching over 280,000 people with greater than six months remaining.
At Cisco, our dedication to up-skilling and reskilling has been long-standing. We’ve been actively engaged in shaping the way forward for digital training by means of our Networking Academy—one of many longest-running skills-to-jobs applications globally. Within the EU alone, the Cisco Networking Academy has reached over 3.2 million learners—with greater than 620,000 reaching industry-recognized certifications, positioning them as aggressive gamers within the international expertise community.
By providing tech training by way of sturdy public-private partnerships, high-quality curriculum, and inclusive workforce improvement applications, we are able to create a strong pipeline of AI and cybersecurity expertise within the workforce whereas additionally addressing the abilities hole.
Seeking to the longer term, we’re excited to launch our new Digital Consciousness programs, that are aligned with the EU’s Digital Competence Framework for Residents (DigComp). These programs, accessible to all European residents no matter their digital literacy, cowl important subjects like fundamental cyber hygiene and resilient practices with linked units. The preliminary programs can be found now, with extra launching in February 2025.
We’ve additionally not too long ago launched an introduction course to Fashionable AI. Within the new yr, we’ll current two free AI programs to construct foundational information in AI in addition to discover subjects like generative AI and its utility throughout varied IT roles. And, as Europe transitions in direction of reindustrialization and strengthens its strategic autonomy, our Industrial Networking and Cybersecurity programs are getting ready the workforce to deal with the challenges and seize the alternatives of Trade 4.0.
In a world the place AI and cybersecurity are integral to each day life, closing the digital expertise hole is extra essential than ever. As Europe seeks to steer within the AI period, these expertise will allow people to entry new alternatives and permit companies to thrive in a repeatedly evolving market.
At Cisco, we’re steadfast in our dedication to making sure everybody can contribute to and profit from the digital financial system—no matter their start line. By way of initiatives just like the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium and our Networking Academy—in addition to our work with governments around the globe to advance digital expertise insurance policies—we’re paving the best way for a Twenty first-century workforce that may deal with the challenges of the longer term with confidence and competence.
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