Cisco has released seven free, self-enrol online courses to help South Africans to develop their digital skills, and has pledged to train an additional 100,000 students by 2020.<\/p>\n
Underpinned by the Cisco Networking Academy, which celebrates its 20th year in South Africa in October, Cisco announced that it will work with education, industry and local communities to skill or retrain individuals to develop the next generation of talent to thrive in the digital economy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe future global competitiveness of South Africa will be determined by our commitment as a nation, and as employers to ensure that we have the skills required for a thriving digital economy,\u201d said Cathy Smith, MD Cisco Sub-Saharan Africa.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe education system alone cannot be expected to keep up with the increasing skills gap. As technology leaders and future employers, we are partnering with Government and the education ecosystem to ensure that South Africans are given more opportunities to be part of the workforce of the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot so long ago, I identified ICT as a way to lay a solid foundation for rapid and inclusive economic growth in our country,\u201d says Minister Jeff Radebe.<\/p>\n
\u201cTogether with Cisco, we are going to provide skills development opportunities through training, internships and mentorship for young graduates and budding entrepreneurs.\u201d<\/p>\n
The free online training courses (available in English) and accessible to anyone are:<\/p>\n