Cisco Networking Academy and the Government of Rio de Janeiro Team Up to Empower Local Students with ICT Knowledge

180 Students From Manguinhos Community to Be Trained in IT Skills Through Cisco’s Networking Academy

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – The Cisco® Networking Academy®, in collaboration with the government of the state of Rio de Janeiro and the local Foundation of Support for Technical Schools (FAETEC) are helping create opportunities for 180 students from the community of Manguinhos by providing information technology (IT) skills to prepare them for entry-level IT positions in various fields.

The announcement was made following the opening ceremony of the Manguinhos CVT with Rio de Janeiro Gov. Sergio Cabral and Amos Maidantchik, Cisco Brazil’s public sector manager. The opening of the CVT was also part of the Brazilian federal government’s Growth Acceleration Program, which opened other infrastructure facilities in the community, with the presence of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Chief-Minister Dilma Rousseff, and Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes.
Highlights:

* Students enrolled in the program will participate in 100 hours of training, divided into 25 weeks, during which they will be taught the Cisco IT Essentials curriculum. The training will be given at the new Manguinhos’ Vocational Technology Center (named CVT Correios) and via e-learning. The CVT building was donated by Correios (the Brazilian post office).
* The program provides students with in-depth exposure to computer hardware and operating systems, which will allow them to pursue higher education in engineering, computer science and related fields, as well as help them secure IT jobs in the Brazil.
* The Cisco Networking Academy continues to strengthen and develop IT skills in Brazil. The first Networking Academy in Brazil started in 2000. Today, there are 150 academies across the country teaching approximately 20.000 students annually. In 2009 Brazil has significantly increased its number of academic partners and will continue to expand program reach throughout the country.

Quotes:

* Alexandre Cardoso, Science and Technology secretary, State of Rio de Janeiro

“We have chosen Cisco to share the information technology model for this training. It will be a key initiative, with an important course. Students will also be able to have classes via the Internet.”

* Celso Pansera, president for the Foundation of Support for Technical Schools (FAETEC), Rio de Janeiro

“To FAETEC, it’s extremely important to team up with Cisco in this initiative. It means we will be able to be constantly updated with the latest technologies while having a joint goal to provide technical skills to the community.”

* Amos Maidantchik, public sector manager, Cisco Brazil

“Increasing the knowledge and skills of citizens in the area will help to grow the talent pool available to the Rio de Janeiro market. Education builds capacity and enables the workforce by increasing the productivity of every worker. We are confident that this initiative will bring positive results soon to the community of Manguinhos.”

* Ricardo Santos, regional manager, Networking Academy, Cisco Latin America

“The Cisco Networking Academy program prepares students with new skills and competencies demanded by employers and society as a whole, enabling social inclusion. Education and ICT need to go hand in hand to build a strong framework so that Brazil can gain the maximum benefit from technology. We are proud to be working on transforming the lives of these students.”

About the Cisco Networking Academy
Launched in 1997, the Cisco Networking Academy is a collaboration between Cisco, education, business, government and community organizations around the world, aimed at nurturing IT professionals. The program employs an e-learning model, using a combination of Web-based and instructor-led training along with a hands-on lab environment to teach students how to design, build and maintain computer networks. Worldwide, more than 2.75 million students from a total of approximately 9,000 academies in 165 countries have participated.

About Cisco Systems
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com. Cisco equipment in emerging markets is supplied by Cisco Systems International BV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems, Inc.

Cisco, the Cisco logo, Cisco Systems and Networking Academy are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. This document is Cisco Public Information.