Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:

I am pleased to appear before you today to share a company’s perspective on the role and importance of Career and Technical Education to America.

I represent Cisco Systems, Inc., the worldwide leader in Internet technologies. Cisco hardware, software, and service offerings are used to create Internet solutions that allow individuals, companies, and countries to increase productivity, improve customer satisfaction and strengthen competitive advantage. We have over 34,000 employees in the United States, Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Australia.  During Fiscal year 2003, our revenue totaled $18.9 billion. Over the years, the Cisco name has become synonymous with the Internet, since we are involved with every type of application. We like to say that Cisco is changing the ways in which people work, live, play and learn!

Cisco’s success is not ultimately the result of a product. We are a "knowledge-based" company. We are only as successful as our people are knowledgeable and skilled. For this reason we have always had partnerships with education. Concerned about the long-term capabilities of our workforce, and that of our business partners and customers, Cisco Systems, Inc launched the Cisco Networking Academy Program in 1997 - comprehensive e-learning program, which is designed to teach students Internet technology skills.

Developed and delivered by educators and industry professionals, the Networking Academy program provides a combination of web-based curriculum, instructor led learning, on-line assessments, student performance tracking, hands on labs, instructor training and support, and preparation for industry standard certification. As a result, students can apply classroom learning’s to actual technology challenges, which ultimately prepares tomorrow's workforce for life-long learning opportunities, and motivates them to continue their education and learning.

Now in its sixth year, the Cisco Networking Academy program has more than 10,000 academies in 152 countries with over 400,000 participating students. In the United States we have over 4,000 academies with 134, 682 participating students.

As you can tell, Cisco is by no means a "marginal" partner in this important education and workforce endeavor. Based upon our six years of experience with the implementation of the Cisco Networking Academy Program, we now recognize 5 key elements for programmatic success.

There is no way around high academic skills when working in our industry. Without a strong knowledge of mathematics, fundamental scientific concepts, and reading a students cannot pursue the most basic career path. All our curricula are founded upon high academic rigor. Students are required to apply this academic foundation to technical concepts and knowledge. By applying academic basics to networking and other technology skills, the Academy program further develops students’ math, science, writing, and problem-solving abilities. Our curricula provides students with both academic and technical competencies. To promote a well-rounded educational experience, the Academy CCNA curriculum is aligned with U.S. national and state math, science, and language arts standards as well as workforce competencies. We have invested in a sophisticated database which crosswalks state Academic standards with the learning targets of our courses. In other words, we are able to answer the age-old question, "why do I have to learn this?"

2) Assessment Designed to Support Learning

Using Internet technologies, the Cisco program relies upon Instructional supportive assessment. The assessment is designed to provide immediate and on-going feedback to students and teachers regarding their proficiencies in specified knowledge and skills. This feedback allows teacher to modify and adjust their instructional approach. Our assessment strategy is designed to inform or improve learning, as well as hold student and teachers accountable for results.

Networking Academy curriculum prepares students for industry standard, , hence enriching the skill set required to succeed in a changing global economy. All academy curriculums are mapped to major certification in the IT industry – both vendor and non-vendor.

The Cisco Networking Academy program has been adopted by and integrated into the full spectrum of learning institutions. The program is offered by high schools, colleges, universities, and community-based organization. There is a natural connection between secondary, postsecondary, and corporate learning. This connection allows students to launch careers in the industry which can include transition to work and/or to postsecondary education.

Cisco understands that the digital divide can be bridged through education and the Internet.—two great equalizers of this century. Diversifying our workforce is crucial to creating and maintaining the skilled workforce that our country will come to depend upon. More must be done to ensure that all members of our nation's workforce have equal access to the employment opportunities within the IT sector.  

In response to this challenge, the Cisco Networking Academy Program is working to achieve digital equity in underserved areas that benefit low-income individuals, certain ethnic groups, people in disadvantaged communities and those with disabilities. A key strategy to developing the pipeline of workers with technology skills is maintaining long-term relationships with ethnic, student and professional organizations.   For example, Cisco provides financial support to the United Negro College Fund, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Program, and the National Action Council for Minority Engineers to conduct research and promote access to education in science and engineering.

Cisco has also established The Gender Initiative to address the gender digital divide that seeks ways to increase women's access to IT training and career opportunities. We partner with educational institutions worldwide to collect and disseminate information on best practices in recruitment and retention strategies. Based on research findings, we are developing tools and resources, such as a gender module for teachers of our programs, marketing materials, gender websites, media presentations and role models designed to attract and retain more women to the field of IT. 

A key strategy of The Gender Initiative is the Gender Equal Access in Technology Project, designed to increase awareness, recruitment and improve retention of girls in Cisco Networking Academy programs.  Central to the project is the reality that women comprise 50% of the U.S. workforce, but hold only 20% of the jobs in information technology.  In 2003, Cisco partnered with eleven high schools in eight locations across the United States.  These high schools are challenged to increase female participation in the Cisco Networking Academy.

In the United States we have established over 183 academies in 30 United States Empowerment Zones. In addition, we are also working with the US Department of Education’s designated minority serving institutions to bring the Academy program to African American’s, Hispanic, Native American’s and other minorities.

Conclusion:

Cisco Systems, Inc., with other business and industry, is committed to working in partnership with career and technical education to help provide the highest quality Information Technology programs. We strongly encourage you to consider the importance of the federal role in supporting career and technical education programs across this country. As an industry concerned about its workforce’s future we support high quality career and technical education programs at the secondary and postsecondary level that integrate academic and technical skill attainment, encourage women to pursue nontraditional career fields, support students of diverse backgrounds and partner with business and industry to provide the youth and adults of this country the opportunity to be successful in the workplace.