MANAMA, BAHRAIN--(Marketwire - April 28, 2009) - The
Cisco
Networking Academy®, in collaboration with Gulf Business Machines
(GBM) and the Bahrain Training Institute (BTI), are helping create
opportunities for 50 Bahraini students with special needs by providing
Internet Technology (IT) skills to prepare them for entry-level IT
positions in various fields. The announcement was made following a meeting
between Hanan Kamal, Undersecretary, Minister of Social Development, and
Duncan Mitchell, senior vice president at Cisco (
NASDAQ:
CSCO), emerging
markets.
- Students enrolled in the program will participate in a three-month
comprehensive e-learning program which integrates
face-to-face teaching with a web-based curriculum, online assessment tools,
and hands-on laboratory exercises.
- 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 secure IT jobs in the kingdom. Further, the top performing students
will be trained as Cisco Certified Network Associates (CCNA).
- The Cisco Networking Academy continues to strengthen and grow IT skills
in Bahrain. The first Cisco Networking Academy in Bahrain started in 2001.
Today, there are 11 academies across the kingdom with approximately 600
students currently enrolled in the program. The number of students is
expected to grow 84 percent year-over-year in 2009.
- With 45 percent of the enrolled students being female, Cisco Networking
Academy has also been highly effective in bridging the digital 'gender' gap
in the Kingdom. Empowering women with technical knowledge and networking
skills which are in extremely high demand will promote more opportunities
for women in the job market.
URL's and links:
Quotes:
"GBM is committed to giving back to the community to help improve the lives
of people in meaningful ways. We have lived and worked in Bahrain for more
than 20 years and are proud to play a significant role in the training of
50 Bahraini nationals with special needs, giving them the necessary IT
skills to compete in today's highly competitive job market."
- Hameed Saleh, Director General, Bahrain Training Institute:
"Over the years, BTI has been focused on creating programs that cater to
people with special needs helping them play a bigger role in society. Our
programs have traditionally included Art and Design and today, we are proud
to announce we have extended our efforts to include technology enablement
as well."
- Fadel Rabea, Deputy Director General Training, Bahrain Training
Institute:
"BTI has always been keen on running high value-added training programs
through international partners like Cisco. Through the Cisco Networking
Academy, this training will help equip students with special needs with the
necessary IT skills to help open the doors so they can excel in a highly
competitive job market that is increasingly technology dependant."
- Tarek Ghoul, General Manager, Cisco Gulf North
"Increasing the knowledge and skills of the local population will help to
grow the talent pool available to Information Communication Technology
(ICT) companies throughout the region, as well as contribute to national
competitiveness. This in turn paves the way for new e-learning initiatives
that can act as a catalyst in the country's ambitious growth and
development plans."
Cisco has a long history of using its expertise and knowledge to benefit
the local community, and we are proud to undertake such initiatives in
Bahrain with the support of the government, GBM and BTI. We look forward to
making additional strides in the near future."
About Gulf Business Machines
With roots stretching back more than 19 years, the Gulf Business Machines'
companies (GBM) are IBM's Sole Distributors, in the GCC with the exception
of Saudi Arabia. A branch in Karachi, Pakistan opened in January 2007 with
IBM Premier Partner status, and branches in Lahore and Islamabad followed.
As one of the largest locally situated IT solutions and service providers,
GBM satisfies the technology requirements of local, regional and
international businesses and governments. The company's comprehensive
portfolio of IT solutions and services also includes the offerings of a
range of international business partners, including Cisco Systems with whom
GBM has enjoyed since 2003 Gold Partner status throughout the region, and
now also Learning Partner status. The company offers award winning,
globally acclaimed solutions and the security of a strong regional
presence, extensive reach and unrivalled market knowledge. GBM is the
recipient of the prestigious Dubai Quality Appreciation Award from the
Government of Dubai, and has won Best System Integrator at the Network
Middle East awards for the past three years. Further information is
available at
www.gbm4ibm.com
About Cisco Networking Academy:
Launched in 1997, Cisco Networking Academy is a collaboration among 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 2.5
million students have graduated from a total of approximately 9,000
academies in 162 countries.
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 and Cisco Systems 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.
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