Partnering with Texas for America's Networked Future

Partnering with Texas for America’s Networked Future

A sustained economic recovery requires a skilled and well-trained workforce. Graduates who have acquired problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, in addition to specific job-related expertise, will be a crucial human resource for the United States in the years ahead.

As organizations become increasingly reliant on knowledge workers and intelligent networks, Cisco® Networking Academy® is helping Texas prepare for sustainable, high-paying jobs by teaching the skills that employers need.

A Leader in Education Innovation Cisco Networking Academy is a transformative, public-private education initiative, preparing today’s students for 21st century opportunities via Cisco Networking Academy has curricula that build knowledge and skills in information communications enrolled more than 3 million technology (ICT). students since its inception in 1997. After successfully completing the coursework, Networking Academy Each year, Networking Academy students are prepared to earn ICT certifications that are valued by delivers 14 courses to more than employers in diverse industries and public-sector organizations. Courses 810,000 students, in over 9,600 also prepare students to pursue further education or apply these skills in academies worldwide. their own businesses. Networking Academy partners Networking Academy is recognized worldwide as a leader in education with a broad range of education, innovation and e-learning. The curricula include instructor-led course government, and nongovernment organizations, offering courses content, online learning and skills assessments, hands-on labs, and in high schools, community col- innovative simulation technology. leges, universities, and nontraditional settings. Core courses include IT Essentials, Cisco CCNA® Discovery, CCNA Exploration, and CCNA Security. Students may then enroll in the more Cisco is the largest networking advanced Cisco CCNP® courses. company in the world, delivering innovations that transform how As of October 31, 2009, approximately 155,571 students were enrolled in people work, live, play, and learn. 2,425 academies in the United States and Canada. Rapid growth over the past decade has demonstrated the program’s versatility in geographic reach, diversity of students, number and variety of partners, breadth and relevance of curriculum, and ability to keep pace with technical and pedagogical advances. Course content is consistent, providing students everywhere with the same knowledge and skill development.

The 21st Century Workforce Strengthening instruction for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is a prerequisite to developing a well-trained, 21st century workforce. The Obama administration has announced an education initiative aimed at increasing STEM literacy and critical thinking, improving the quality of STEM teaching, and expanding STEM education and career opportunities with a focus on under-represented groups like women and minorities.

Educators have placed considerable emphasis on the science and math components of the STEM curricula. But technology and engineering are equally vital. In particular, ICT investments are expected to play a major role in generating stable, high-paying jobs and boosting the nation’s GDP. In addition, a workforce that is well-schooled in ICT and engineering can help spur innovation across many industries, which in turn opens up additional business opportunities to fuel productivity and economic growth.

“Reaffirming and strengthening America's role as the world's engine of scientific discovery and technological innovation is essential to meeting the challenges of this century. That's why I am committed to making the improvement of STEM education over the next decade a national priority.” —President Barack Obama, 11/23/09

Networking Academy puts an emphasis on understanding what skills will be required in future job markets. Networking knowledge will be especially important in critical areas such as green technologies, healthcare, smart energy grids, and the push toward universal broadband deployment. Networking Academy utilizes an education infrastructure that ensures curricula will evolve to meet STEM and future learning requirements.

State-of-the-Art Learning Environment The instructional approach at Networking Academy encourages student engagement, enhancing the student’s ability to synthesize learning and apply it in other contexts. Four skill areas identified by education researchers as critical for 21st century workers have been integrated into the course content:

• Problem solving and decision making: Students practice and test their knowledge by configuring and troubleshooting networks using hands-on labs and simulation software.

• Creative and critical thinking: Students understand the how and why of networking by combining hands-on learning with conceptual and analytical exercises.

• Collaboration, communication, and negotiation: Students acquire teamwork and career-ready skills as they perform lab exercises and engage in business scenarios.

• Intellectual curiosity and information handling: Coursework helps students develop the ability to find, select, structure, and evaluate information. Real-world case studies give students the opportunity to develop cutting-edge problem-solving techniques.

Spotlight on Community Colleges A unique feature of these institutions is their linkage with business and industry, and hence their integration into economic development. Community colleges are working to align their curricula, certifications, and degrees with new ICT jobs through Networking Academy implementations. In the United States, more than 50% of all community colleges offer Networking Academy courses.

According to researchers, students today are faced with high tuition costs, a weak economy, and increased competition for admission to four-year colleges. They are more likely than at any other point in history to attend community college. As a result, community colleges have experienced a spike in enrollment. In July 2009, the Obama administration proposed a $12 billion plan called the American Graduation Initiative, aimed at supporting community colleges by funding job training and retraining programs.

As an example of how these institutions are responding to the challenge, Moraine Valley Community College in the Chicago area is leading the Center for System Security and Information Assurance (CSSIA), a consortium of seven academic institutions in five states, dedicated to developing and evaluating cyber-security curricula, and offering training programs to community college and university faculty, secondary school faculty, and students across the region. A Cisco Networking Academy training center was established at Moraine in 1998, and academy courses are an integral part of the curricula. CSSIA has developed nine undergraduate courses, nine graduate courses, and a variety of workshops that can be used as models by other institutions.

The Data Behind the Demand Tables 1 and 2 outline the growth and projected demand for ICT-related careers in the nation overall, and in the state of Texas.

Table 1. Projection of Select ICT Occupations in the United States1

Employment Employment Change Average Occupational Occupation Annual Employment 2006 2016 Number % Openings as of May 20082

Computer Support Specialists 552,000 624,000 71,000 21.9 24,000 545,520

Computer Systems Analysts 504,000 650,000 146,000 29 28,000 489,890

Network and Computer Systems 309,000 393,000 83,000 27 15,000 327,850 Administrators Network Systems and Data 262,000 402,000 140,000 53.4 19,000 230,410 Communications Analysts Computer and Information 264,000 307,000 43,000 16.4 9,000 276,820 Systems Managers

Table 2. Projection of Select ICT Occupations in Texas3

Employment Employment Change Average Occupational Occupation Annual Employment 2006 2016 Number % Openings as of May 20082

Computer Support Specialists 42,950 51,600 8650 20.1 2190 47,090

Computer Systems Analysts 43,850 59,600 15,750 35.9 2740 43,790

Network and Computer Systems 25,250 33,650 8400 33.3 1415 27,090 Administrators Network Systems and Data 17,750 27,600 9850 55.5 1345 15,680 Communications Analysts Computer and Information 15,850 19,250 3400 21.5 595 17,640 Systems Managers

1 Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov/emp/emptabapp.htm, based on data available on of Oct 31, 2008 2 Source: U.S. DoL, BLS, May 2008 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, http://stat.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcst.htm 3 Source: U.S. DoL, BLS, Projections Central, www.bls.gov/oco/oco20024.htm

The Impact in Texas The partnership between Cisco Networking Academy and Texas has touched the lives of 54,146 students and generated an estimated contribution valued at $29,294,818 to education in the state. Tables 3-4 provide detailed information on the current academies, curricula, and education levels in the state.

Table 3. Cisco Networking Academy in Texas1

Students 11,017

Female students 14%

Distinct cumulative students (having successfully completed at least one course) 54,146

Academies 168

Instructors 295

Education Level Secondary Community 2 (students/academies at more than one ed level Universities Other Schools Colleges are distributed proportionately)

Students 45% 51% 4% 0%

Academies 61% 34% 5% 1%

Curricula3 Advanced (students/academies that take/teach multiple ITE CCNA 1, 2 CCNA 3, 4 Technologies/ curricula are counted more than once) Other4

Students 32% 63% 19% 7%

Academies 53% 74% 47% 16%

Contribution value5 (estimated cumulative value to academies, including donations and discounts) $29,294,818

1 Source: MRE FULL Package of Quarterly Metrics_10.31.09_v1.xls 2 Includes community-based organizations, middle schools, military, nontraditional educational settings, and post-graduate institutions 3 Source: MRE reports 4075_MASTER P51_v2_with Country Totals.xlsx 4 Includes CCNA Security, CCNP, Security, Wireless, IP Telephony, Java, UNIX and Panduit Network Infrastructure Essentials (PNIE) 5 Source: MRE report MASTER IN-KIND CONTRIBUTION for USCAN as of 10.31.09_v1.xlsx

Table 4. Active Academies in Texas6 Active academies are defined as those that have taught a class with at least 3 distinct student assessments, or adopted a new curriculum, within the last 12 months.

Number of Districts With Networking Academies Without Networking Academies % Penetration

32 32 0 100%

Congressional District 1 Klein High School 12 (Houston) Congressional District 3 Angelina College (Lufkin) Klein High School 34 (Spring) CCCCD Preston Ridge (Frisco) *Kilgore College (Kilgore) *Lamar Institute of Technology *Collin County Community College (Beaumont) District (Frisco) Tenaha ISD (Tenaha) North Harris College (Houston) Frisco ISD (Frisco) Tyler Junior College (Tyler) Spring ISD Wunsche HS Academy McKinney High School (McKinney) Congressional District 2 (Spring) North Garland High (Garland) Humble ISD Career and Technology Stilwell Technical Center – Region 5 Education Center (Humble) ESC (Port Arthur) Plano ISD (Plano)

*Richland College (Dallas) Trinity ISD (Trinity) VC Century City Academy (Wichita Falls) Westwood College Dallas DLD (ACC) Willis ISD (Willis) (Dallas) *Vernon College (Wichita Falls) Congressional District 9 Congressional District 4 Vernon High School (Vernon) Westwood College-Houston HNS CCCCD Central Park (McKinney) (ACC) (Houston) Congressional District 14 Commerce High School (Commerce) Congressional District 10 Angleton High School (Angleton) Grayson County Community College Brazos ISD Cisco Academy (Wallis) Career Development School - VISD (Denison) (Victoria) Cy-Fair College (Cypress) Northeast Texas Cisco Training *The Victoria College (Victoria) Academy (Mount Pleasant) Cypress Springs High School (Cypress) Congressional District 15 Paris Junior College Cisco Training Academy (Paris) Giddings ISD (Giddings) Coastal Bend College (Beeville) Texarkana College Cisco Academy Lanier High School (Austin) *Region 1 Education Service Center (Edinburg) (Texarkana) Miller CTC Cisco Academy (Katy) Congressional District 16 Texas High School (Texarkana) *Tomball College Regional Academy Whitesboro High School (Whitesboro) (Tomball) *El Paso County Community College District (El Paso) Wolfe City High School (Wolfe City) Congressional District 11 EPCC Valle Verde Campus (El Paso) Congressional District 5 Burnet High School (Burnet) Hanks High School (El Paso) Crandall Cisco Academy (Crandall) Howard College/San Angelo ISD (San Angelo) San Elizario ISD (San Elizario) Forney High School (Forney) Klondike High School (Lamesa) University of Texas At El Paso (El New Summerfield High School (New Paso) Summerfield) Lamesa ISD (Lamesa) Congressional District 17 Congressional District 6 Midland College (Midland) Burleson ISD (Burleson) Arlington – Sam Houston High School Congressional District 12 McLennan Community College (Waco) (Arlington) Boswell High School (Fort Worth) Midlothian High School (Midlothian) *Texas State Technical College, Waco Brewer High (Fort Worth) (Waco) Tarrant County College, Southeast Carter-Riverside High School (Fort Congressional District 18 (Arlington) Worth) Congressional District 7 Barbara Jordan High School For *Education Service Center 11 (Fort Careers Cisco Network (Houston) Cisco Academy At Cy-Fair H.S. Worth) Houston Community College (Houston) (Cypress) Saginaw High School (Fort Worth) Jefferson Davis High School (Houston) Cypress Creek Cisco Networking Weatherford College (Weatherford) Academy (Houston) Nimitz Sr. High School (Houston) Weatherford ISD (Weatherford) Houston Community College *Region 4 Education Service Center Southwest Cisco Academy (Houston) Westwood College North Richland Hills (Houston) DLF (ACC) (Fort Worth) The Guthrie Center (Houston) Texas Southern University (Houston) Congressional District 13 Congressional District 8 Wheatley HS Center for Technology AACAL (Amarillo) *Education Service Center, Region 6 (Houston) (Huntsville) Amarillo College (Amarillo) Congressional District 19 Kingwood College Cisco Local Canyon ISD-Randall (Amarillo) Abilene Christian University (Abilene) Academy (Kingwood) Cisco Academy Vernon Campus Amherst Independent School District Lamar State College - Orange (Vernon) (Amherst) (Orange) Frank Phillips College Academy *Education Service Center, Region 17 *Lamar State College – Port Arthur (Borger) (Lubbock) (Port Arthur) Munday ISD (Munday) Frenship Independent School District Oakridge Cisco Academy (Conroe) Stratford High School - Stratford ISD (Wolfforth) The Woodlands High Schools (The (Stratford) Hale Center Independent School Woodlands) District (Hale Center)

Littlefield Independent School District Grapevine-Colleyville CHHS Ray HS (CCISD) (Corpus Christi) (Littlefield) (Grapevine) Tuloso-Midway IDS (Corpus Christi) Plains Independent School District Grapevine-Colleyville GHS (Grapevine) (Plains) West Oso ISD (Corpus Christi) HEB ISD Technical Education Center Seminole Independent School District (Bedford) Congressional District 28 (Seminole) North Lake College (Irving) La Vernia ISD (La Vernia) Shallowater ISD (Shallowater) Congressional District 25 Laredo Community College (Laredo) South Plains College (Levelland) Akins Cisco Academy (Austin) South Texas College (McAllen) Sudan Independent School District United High School (Laredo) (Sudan) Austin Community College (Austin) United South High School (Laredo) West Texas (Abilene) *Education Service Center, Region 13 (Austin) Valley View HS (Pharr) Congressional District 20 La Grange High (La Grange) Congressional District 29 Alamo Community College District On Behalf of St. Phillip’s College (San LASA – Austin ISD (Austin) Cesar Chavez High School (Houston) Antonio) San Marcos High (San Marcos) Lee College Cisco Local Academy Business Careers High School (San Congressional District 26 (Baytown) Antonio) Advanced Technology Complex Congressional District 30 Goodwill Industries of San Antonio (Denton) (San Antonio) A. Maceo Smith High School (Dallas) Birdville High School (North Richland Business Management Center (Dallas) John H Wood Charter School (San Hills) Antonio) *Dallas ISD-Skyline High School Central HS (Keller) Congressional District 21 (Dallas) DeVry University, Dallas Metro (ACC) El Centro College (Dallas) Alamo Community College District On (Irving) Behalf of St. (San Antonio) South Oak Cliff High School (Dallas) ISchool High – Lewisville (Lewisville) *Education Service Center, Region 20 Congressional District 31 (San Antonio) Lewisville ISD (Lewisville) Cameron IDS (Cameron) Congressional District 22 North Central Texas College (Gainesville) Cedar Park High (Cedar Park) Pasadena ISD LP Card Career and Technical Center (Pasadena) Northwest ISD (Justin) Central Texas College (Killeen) San Jacinto Community College Richland High School - Birdville ISD Stephenville ISD Cisco Academy Central Campus (Pasadena) (North Richland Hills) (Stephenville) WCJC Cisco Academy (Richmond) Tarrant County College, Northeast Tarleton State University Cisco (Hurst) Networking Academy (Stephenville) Congressional District 23 Tarrant County College, South Campus Congressional District 32 Alamo Community College District On (Fort Worth) Behalf of Palo Alto College (San Berkner High School (Richardson) Antonio) Congressional District 27 DeVry University (ACC) (Richardson) Balmorhea ISD (Balmorhea) Carroll HS (CCISD) (Corpus Christi) Mountain View College (Dallas) Congressional District 24 *Del Mar College (Corpus Christi) *Richardson Independent School Academy of Irving ISD (Irving) Flour Bluff ISD (Corpus Christi) District (Richardson) Brookhaven College (Farmers Branch) King HS (CCISD) (Corpus Christi) W.T. White High School (Dallas) Moody HS (CCISD) (Corpus Christi)

* Indicates Cisco Networking Academy Training Center 6 Source: MRE/Academy Connection, Congressional_Report_VLOOKUP_December_08_2009_Final_ch1.xlsx

Student and Community Impact At the Birdville Center of Technology and Advanced Learning (BCTAL), two Networking Academy classes were commissioned to refurbish 200 school district computers for distribution to the community. The students designed a logo for the project, and wrote a simple user manual for recipients.

Christopher Henderson One of these students is senior Christopher Henderson, age 17, whose interest in ICT started in middle school. He took computer courses there, while his older brothers took Networking Academy courses in high school. Once in high school himself, Christopher enrolled in the IT Essentials course taught by Jan Haynie.

Jan and other instructors promote Networking Academy courses throughout the district. IT Essentials covers basic computer hardware and software functions, and how those are used in the real world. Students actually build computers and assemble networks.

Christopher particularly liked the opportunity to work with lab equipment. “Working on the systems gave me a real feel for the devices and the logic of how they work together. I developed an ability to analyze a system and diagnose what input to apply to achieve a desired output.”

Prior to earning his CompTIA A+ certification, Christopher reviewed questions and did practice sets to ensure his success. Now he looks forward to earning his Cisco CCENTTM and Cisco CCNA certifications.

According to Jan, “Chris is one of those students who really does take on the task and complete it at his very best. He likes to excel. And Chris has been an integral part of the computer repair project, working on a huge number of PCs. He went beyond refurbishment, and enhanced them for functionality beyond the initial goals.”

Each year in January, Business Professionals of America holds a PC troubleshooting skills contest, and Christopher plans to participate. He hopes to attend either Rice University in Houston, or University of Texas in Austin. He visualizes a career as an engineer, possibly in networking.

His advice for prospective students:

“Do it! Networking Academy online curriculum is really helpful. I’ve learned so much, and the labs and instruction make a big difference.”

Jacob Pebworth Another participant in BCTAL was Jacob Pebworth, age 19. “I got exposed to computers early. My dad and a friend used to build PCs, and I accompanied them on trips to electronics stores. I played early computer games like Doom, Hexic and Hannibal, and took technology courses in middle school. From there, my interest never stopped.”

In high school, he attended the school’s annual Career Technology Convention and learned about Networking Academy courses. “I already knew the value of Cisco courses in the workplace. It was a great opportunity to

take them tuition-free in high school. Earning a certification shows an aptitude for achievement, wanting to apply myself to be trained and become an expert.”

Prior to beginning the IT Essentials course, Jacob went to the library and scanned books on the subject, making the topics easier to digest in class. During the course, he enjoyed the 24/7 access to online course material, and found that the hands-on practice in the lab enabled faster learning and retention. He was excited to develop the in-demand skills used in so many work environments.

Jacob wanted a head start on a future ICT or networking job. He earned his CompTIA A+ certification in 2008, and his Cisco CCENT and Cisco CCNA certifications in 2009, all prior to graduation from high school.

Instructor Mari McCuistion told him about Business Professionals of America competitions, which include ICT-centered events. Jacob entered the Cisco Systems Administration Competition, placing 3rd in the region, 1st in the state, and 3rd in the nation. He also participated in the 2009 NetRiders Skills Challenge. Jacob’s team won the state qualifier for Texas, scoring ahead of all the other Texas teams.

Instructor Jan Haynie says, “Jacob was a real focal point for our computer repair and donation program. He was the person who truly got the project off the ground. He created a logo for it, and he handled the first computer refurbishment, including loading and testing the software, to demonstrate what he wanted to do for the computer committee members. He created a user manual that showed recipients how to use their systems.”

Recipients of the refurbished computers were chosen using an impartial blind draw. Ideal families were those who needed to close the technology gap and get connected for the very first time. Jacob remembers one mother and her little boy who received a system. She hadn’t expected to be able to provide one in their home, and they were both ecstatic.

According to instructor Mari McCuistion, “Jacob is a well-rounded computer guru. He knows all of it, from the technical hardware to the networking. His communication skills are also a big strength.”

Jacob’s goals for the user manual were simple: provide basic step-by-step instructions, and avoid industry terms for these non-industry recipients. He utilized Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, and other programs to build the manual. The content writing was challenging, because it needed to be very precise and leave as little doubt as possible. Additional information was provided in brackets (for example, “[this is called an RJ-45]”), so that more technical terms were there if users were interested in learning more. And having these terms available could help during future tech support discussions. Jacob looks forward to a time when the average user has grown more accustomed to technology, and both tech and non-tech users will have a growing common ground for communication.

This year, Jacob is enrolled in Cisco CCNP courses taught by Neil Brooks at Tarrant County College’s northeast campus. He says the courses are going well, with plenty of material to digest quickly. He will definitely take the Cisco CCNP certification exam, and is thinking about enrolling in the Cisco CCNA Security course, which is available at several academy locations in his area.

He hopes to complete two years at Tarrant, and then transfer to a university. “The Cisco CCNP certification should enable me to get a job that pays well enough to attend a university.”

Jacob’s advice for prospective students:

“You don’t need to be very technical to succeed in the basic course. Previous courses in math, stats or logic will help prepare you, but critical thinking is what counts.”

Learn More For additional information, impact stories, and Cisco Networking Academy contacts in your area, visit our website: www.cisco.com/go/netacad/us-can