SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwire - July 28, 2008) - Cisco (
NASDAQ:
CSCO), in collaboration with
the Cisco Learning Institute, today announced the results of a study on
networking labor needs in North America. According to an IDC white paper
sponsored by Cisco Learning Institute, "Networking Skills in North America:
Trends, Gaps and Strategies," there is a 60,000-person shortfall between
the supply of networking talent and the market demand for highly skilled
information technology (IT) workers in the workforce today. As the demand
grows for IT professionals, who now represent 14 percent of the workforce,
this gap is expected to continue through 2011.
IDC also found that shortages in specialty skills areas, such as network
security, wireless and voice are particularly troubling. More than 35
percent of the businesses surveyed identified an immediate need for voice
specialists, while 19 percent indicated that they have a need for a
wireless expert. IDC also estimates that 11 percent of security specialist
positions will be unfilled in 2011 because of a lack of skilled
professionals, representing a gap of nearly 35,000 positions.*
"This white paper confirms what many managers in the workforce are already
keenly aware of: There is an acute and growing need for more IT
professionals," said Cushing Anderson, IDC analyst. "With more and more
businesses moving critical operational functions over to the network, the
IT department is assuming a much more strategic role in the organization
and needs its infrastructure to be designed, implemented and maintained by
highly skilled, highly trained individuals."
Other key findings of the IDC white paper include:
-- Employers of all sizes and in all industries surveyed indicated that
they will expand their skilled networking personnel over the next four
years.
-- The projected supply of skilled networking workers is not expected to
keep pace with demand, resulting in an 8 percent gap, or 60,000 full-time
skilled workers each year over the next three years.
-- The emphasis on more specialty skills also implies that the
competencies required in networking professionals are evolving in order to
support employers' increasing dependence on their networks.
"The IT workforce is changing," said Amy Christen, vice president of
corporate affairs and the Cisco® Networking Academy®. "With networks
becoming more ubiquitous in business and everyday life, it is essential to
raise awareness of the need for IT professionals. Students of all
backgrounds need access to the knowledge-based economy, so they can further
their educational and occupational goals while keeping America competitive
in the global economy."
IDC collected data from 500 telephone interviews with network managers
across a wide swath of industries and business types and sizes and
correlated that data with projections from a number of sources including
the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Bureau
of Economic Analysis.
The report is available at:
http://www.ciscolearning.org/learning_initiatives/evaluation.
About Cisco
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
About Cisco Learning Institute
Cisco Learning Institute (CLI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose
mission is to enhance the way teachers teach and students learn through
technology. CLI is committed to innovation in education on a global scale
through partnerships that develop sustainable solutions to improve the
quality of learning experiences for all teachers and students. For
information on Cisco Learning Institute, please visit
www.ciscolearning.org.
Cisco, Cisco Systems, the Cisco Systems logo, and Networking Academy 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.
* IDC White Paper Sponsored by Cisco Learning Institute, "Networking Skills
in North America: Trends, Gaps, and Strategies," Doc # 210587, May 2008
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Contact Information: Press Contact:
Cara Sloman
Cisco
831-440-2411
csloman@cisco.com