Cisco targets to train 6.7 million people in Asia-Pacific and 25 million worldwide in digital and cybersecurity skills over the next 10 years, the global technology firm announced Monday, January 23.

The training will be done through the Cisco Networking Academy, which has already onboarded over 557,000 Filipino students in the past two and a half decades.

In the Philippines, Cisco has also provided a clear skills-to-job pathway for learners.

Since 2005, 98 percent of Networking Academy students landed jobs or educational opportunities after completing their training.

“Digitalization and technology adoption are transforming economies across the globe," says Guy Diedrich, Cisco SVP and Chief Innovation Officer.

But "Countries and businesses need a workforce with adequate skills to fully harness the opportunities that are being created," he maintained.

For that reason, building a local pool of next-generation talent is critical to long-term social inclusion and economic resilience.

Already, productivity gains from adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) - enabled technologies will displace 28 million jobs in ASEAN by 2028.

While the competing effects of job displacement and creation will offset each other, many jobs are likely to be created in other areas.

This means that talents in the region, including the Philippines, need to adapt their skills and forge a new career path to remain employed.

However, in the race to digitalize, not all companies are keeping pace, with 14 percent of Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) in the Philippines identifying talent scarcity as one of their barriers to digitalization.

Hence, Cisco aspires to help millions of people in APAC and around the world to access those jobs via its Networking Academy.

Overall, the Cisco program has reached 17.5 million students across 190 countries since it started in 1998.

Todate, the Cisco Networking Academy is one of the world’s longest running skills-to-jobs program of its kind.

Since starting operations in Asia-Pacific, the program spread to 34 markets and trained 4.5 million students through 1,950 partnerships with institutes of higher learning and organizations.

In the Philippines, it has partnered with 125 organizations.

The program delivers information and communications technology (ICT), cloud-based curriculum, and tools, focused on technologies shaping the future such as security, networking, collaboration, and Internet of Things (IoT).

Courses are designed with a learning science foundation, integrated with gamification, assessments, and problem-solving to support learner success.

The program supports Cisco’s vision to power an inclusive future for all and its commitment to positively impact 1 billion people by 2025.

Beyond building digital skills and expanding access to quality education, Cisco focuses on crisis response – supporting programs and solutions focused on disaster relief, food insecurity, housing, clean water, and economic empowerment, to help underserved people gain financial independence.