It can’t be denied that the digital capabilities of any nation, firm or entity considerably influence its competitiveness on the world stage or within the international market. Leveraging safe digital applied sciences allows organizations to enhance effectivity and productiveness, reply sooner to market calls for, and innovate successfully. Nonetheless, with out a skilled workforce – whether or not fundamental IT expertise or extra superior competencies in synthetic intelligence, cybersecurity or networking – the total potential of these digital capabilities won’t ever be realized.
He Cisco AI Readiness Index 2024 highlights the magnitude of the problem: solely 9% of EU corporations are assured within the capabilities of their workforce, in comparison with 21% in the USA. This hole signifies an pressing want for strategic funding in digital expertise improvement, one of many principal causes for my go to to Brussels this week to interact policymakers, opinion leaders and different stakeholders.
AI and cybersecurity aren’t simply technological buzzwords; They’re transformative forces that reshape societies and economies. And the digital expertise that drive AI and cybersecurity options would be the basis for the EU to thrive on this new digital period.
In March 2023, Cisco fiance to assist the EU Cybersecurity Abilities Academy and prepare 250,000 individuals throughout Europe in cybersecurity for 3 years. I’m proud to share that now we have already surpassed this aim: coaching greater than 280,000 individuals with greater than six months to go.
At Cisco, our dedication to upskilling and reskilling is longstanding. Now we have been actively concerned in shaping the way forward for digital training by means of our Community Academy—one of many longest-running employment coaching applications on this planet. Within the EU alone, Cisco Networking Academy has reached greater than 3.2 million college students, of which greater than 620,000 earned industry-recognized certifications, positioning them as aggressive gamers within the international expertise community.
By delivering know-how training by means of robust public-private partnerships, high-quality curricula, and inclusive workforce improvement applications, we will create a powerful pipeline of AI and cybersecurity expertise within the workforce whereas additionally , handle the abilities hole.
Wanting forward, we’re excited to launch our new Digital Consciousness programs, that are aligned with the EU Residents’ Digital Competence Framework (DigComp). These programs, accessible to all European residents no matter their digital literacy, cowl important subjects comparable to fundamental cyber hygiene and resilient practices with related units. Preliminary programs can be found now with extra to be launched in February 2025.
Now we have additionally just lately launched an introductory course to Trendy AI. Within the new 12 months, we’ll introduce two free AI programs to develop fundamental information in AI and discover subjects comparable to generative AI and its software in numerous IT features. And, as Europe transitions to reindustrialization and strengthens its strategic autonomy, our Industrial Networks and Cybersecurity programs are getting ready the workforce to fulfill the challenges and seize the alternatives of Business 4.0.
In a world the place AI and cybersecurity are an integral a part of each day life, closing the digital expertise hole is extra important than ever. As Europe seeks to guide the AI period, these expertise will allow individuals to entry new alternatives and allow companies to thrive in an ever-evolving market.
At Cisco, we’re steadfast in our dedication to making sure that everybody can contribute to and profit from the digital economic system, no matter their start line. Via initiatives comparable to AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium and our Networking Academy, in addition to our work with governments world wide to advertise digital expertise insurance policies, we’re paving the best way for a twenty first century workforce that may meet the challenges of the long run with confidence and competence.
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