Establishment of Cisco Local Academy in Bermuda

Transcription

1 MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Establishment of Cisco Local Academy in Bermuda The Hon. Michael J. Scott, JP, MP Minister of Government Estates and Information Services Friday, 18 th November, 2011 Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to provide for Members of this Honourable House and the people of Bermuda additional information with respect to an extremely important initiative announced by the Government in the Speech from the Throne that was read by His Excellency the Governor just under two weeks ago. His Excellency read as follows: The Government is pleased to share that it is engaged in advanced discussions with Cisco Systems, the worldwide leader in networking products and services, for the establishment of a Cisco Academy in Bermuda. Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Government Estates and Information Services, I am delighted to provide you with additional details with respect to the establishment of a Cisco Academy here in Bermuda, a facility that will provide certified training for Bermudians and prepare them for opportunities in the realm of Information Technology [IT]. 1

2 Mr. Speaker, the Cisco Networking Academy is a comprehensive e- learning programme which provides students with Internet technology skills that are essential for the development of countries in the current global economy. The Networking Academy programme delivers web-based content, online assessment, student performance tracking, hands-on-labs, instructor training and support and preparation for industry standard certifications. Mr. Speaker, in October 1997, the Networking Academy programme was launched in 64 educational institutions in seven states of the USA. It has now spread to more than 160 countries. Since its inception, over 1.6 million students have enrolled at more than 10,000 Academies located in secondary schools, technical schools, colleges, universities and community-based organizations. Honourable colleagues will be interested to know that 70% of the internet traffic uses Cisco network systems. Indeed, Cisco is dubbed as the plumbers for the internet. Mr. Speaker, the Cisco Local Academy initiative dovetails with the Government s overall commitment to develop the Island s human potential by means of enhanced training opportunities in various areas, in particular, training that will meet the emerging needs of the next few decades. IT stands at the forefront in this regard. Mr. Speaker, the idea of establishing a Cisco Local Academy emerged as part of the response to the Request For Proposal [RFP] which was issued by the Information Technology Office to re-engineer the Government network infrastructure. The successful vendor was required to provide a state-of-the art switching fabric and network management systems that would form the backbone for the Government-wide Network that supports Information Technology applications and Internet access. Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, my predecessor, the Hon. D. Neletha Butterfield, JP, MP, visited the Heart Trust Stony Hill Academy, the location of a Cisco Academy in Jamaica. Upon the conclusion of this visit, the then Minister advised that Bermuda and Bermudians would benefit from a programme of this 2

3 nature. Preliminary discussions were held and the proposal has taken shape. Links have been established with the Cisco Regional Manager, Navid Ghandeharioun, and with Georgette Shirley, the Programme Coordinator of the Caribbean Institute of Technology. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Ghandeharioun met with me in Bermuda on Thursday of last week. Senator Jonathan Smith, Junior Minister within the Minister of Government Estates and Information Services, and ITO Director Mr. Michael Oatley, were also in attendance at that meeting. We were heartened to hear Mr. Ghandeharioun re-affirm Cisco s commitment to Bermuda and its willingness to work cooperatively with both the Government and with private sector partners to ensure the success of the enterprise. Mr. Speaker, reference to the Cisco Academy initiative in the Speech from the Throne has already generated a great deal of interest among the private sector in Bermuda. Major companies in Bermuda obviously value internationally recognized Cisco certifications; consequently, they are adopting Cisco technologies. A local Cisco Academy will provide Bermudians in the IT profession with the opportunity to gain Cisco certifications and re-certifications. Local companies, both large and small, will benefit from a larger pool of skilled Bermudian IT personnel from which to draw. Mr. Speaker, although we are seeking to establish a bona fide Networking Academy here in Bermuda, we must make the point that we have already embarked upon a pilot or prototype of such an Academy. Personnel from our Information Technology Office, other Government Departments and persons from the private sector participated in training led by Cisco during October of this year. Mr. Speaker, the curriculum of the Networking Academies combines the theory and practice of designing, developing and implementing the networks that drive modern organizations. The curriculum is designed to teach teamwork skills that are essential for success in today s market place. 3

4 Cisco Network Support certifications include: - Cisco Certified Network Associate - CCNA - Cisco Certified Network Professional CCNP - Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert CCIE-R/S (Routing and Switching) - Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert CCIE- ISP Dial (ISP Dial Technology) Acquisition of the CCNA is regarded industry wide as the foundation for most careers in the field of IT. Mr. Speaker, whilst employment opportunities have been curbed as a result of the economic downturn, the Cisco Academy provides an excellent opportunity for Bermudians to train and position themselves to take their places in this ever changing, exciting world of IT. Bermudians with a Cisco certification are able to compete more effectively and offer their services to Bermuda-based companies currently employing Cisco certified guest workers. Additionally, a Cisco certification provides the opportunity for mobility for Bermudian IT professionals, whether in Bermuda or overseas, as Cisco qualifications are recognized worldwide. Mr. Speaker, a Steering Committee for the establishment of the Cisco Local Academy in Bermuda, under the leadership of ITO Director Mr. Michael Oatley, has been formed. The Steering Committee s primary objective is to secure a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Bermuda and the Cisco Regional Academy based in Jamaica. Working jointly with the Regional Manager, the Steering Committee will strengthen the increasingly important public and private partnership component of the Cisco Local Academy initiative. Additionally, the Steering Committee will make a recommendation regarding the most suitable location for the Cisco Local Academy. Mr. Speaker, it is anticipated that instruction at the first formally established Cisco Local Academy in Bermuda will commence no later than the second quarter of

5 Mr. Speaker, the Speech from the Throne ended with a reiteration of President Nelson Mandela s awe-inspiring exhortation: Let us Build One Another, Together. Members of this Honourable House and the people of Bermuda may be assured of the commitment of the Ministry of Government Estates and Information Services to advance this most laudable, indeed essential goal, as demonstrated by the Cisco Local Academy initiative and the Ministry s participation in the Job Corps programme and in YES, the Youth Empowerment Scheme, also announced in the Speech from the Throne. During the course of the year, I shall share information with respect to other Ministry of Government Estates and Information Services initiatives that will advance the Let us Build One Another, Together theme. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. 5