Cisco Goals is Expected to Positively Impact One Billion People

One year ahead of schedule, Cisco has surpassed its goal to make a real, tangible difference in the lives of one billion people, leveraging a powerful combination of technology and people, backed by its purpose to power an inclusive future for all. It has trained a record one million people in Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China (APJC), the highest in its 26-year history through Cisco Networking Academy, one of the longest-standing IT skills-to-jobs programs in the world.

In 2016, Cisco Chair and CEO Chuck Robbins set a company goal to positively impact the lives of one billion people by 2025. Today, having already achieved that ambitious goal, Cisco credits the extraordinary work of its global network of business and nonprofit partners, the support and leadership of the Cisco Foundation and Cisco’s Networking Academy, and the passion of its people – a global effort that unlocked a scale that will drive social impact and digital access worldwide in the years to come.

To achieve its goal, Cisco invested in nonprofits through its Social Impact grants and Networking Academy to help them develop and scale technology-based solutions for the critical challenges facing vulnerable, underserved communities around the world. Cisco also worked with local and national governments to empower communities with IT skills, helping develop the workforce of the future and fostering digital inclusion – all measured by a rigorous tracking methodology.

“Our purpose is to power an inclusive future for all, and this milestone is an important moment in our long history as an impact-focused company,” said Fran Katsoudas, Executive Vice President and Chief People, Policy and Purpose Officer. “It’s a goal almost ten years in the making, and we’re excited to use what we learned, our strengths, and our technology as we continue to scale our work around the world.”

Building Digital Skills Capacity Across Asia Pacific

For 26 years, Cisco Networking Academy has provided over 5.3 million learners in Asia Pacific with in-demand digital skills including networking, cybersecurity and data science. In FY23, the academy achieved a historic milestone by providing training to one million people in the region.

Amidst the heightened importance of cybersecurity in today’s digital era, most students in FY23 opted for cybersecurity courses over other curriculums. In Malaysia, 28,310 students received skills training in FY23 through 120 partnerships with institutes of higher learning and organizations offering Networking

Academy courses. Since inception, 37% of all students trained are female, with almost all 99% of students obtaining a job and/or educational opportunity after completing their Networking Academy training.

“As we move faster to an increasingly connected and digital world, we have a moral obligation to remove barriers to connectivity and digital,” said Hana Raja, Managing Director, Cisco Malaysia. “Education levels the playing field for all and ensures that our youths and next generation of talents are ready to tackle the pressing issues of today’s world like cybersecurity, AI, and sustainability. We are extremely proud of this milestone and the impact it represents in allowing more people to contribute to Malaysia’s digital economy. But we understand there is much more we can do to empower local communities through technology and equalize opportunities through education.”

Annual Purpose Report Released

This announcement accompanies today’s release of Cisco’s annual Purpose Report, which details its latest impact, goals, and progress on ESG topics, including environmental sustainability, social impact, digital access, philanthropy, supply chain, security and privacy, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

As a reflection of the work contributing to Cisco’s latest milestone, the report celebrates 25 years of Cisco’s Networking Academy, reaching over 20 million people in 190 countries with digital and cybersecurity skills training. Cisco continues expanding its digital access programming and has over 1300 active or completed Country Digital Acceleration programs in 50 countries, including a recently announced effort to strengthen Ukraine’s partnership with USAID.
Additional Resources:

• Purpose Report on ESG Hub: cisco.com/go/esg-hub (redirects to https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/about/purpose/index.html)