From classroom to profession: Ghana’s new gateway to tech success

At Cisco, we care deeply about innovation and sensible effectiveness. When responding to social challenges, we wish to be a part of options that work—and that always means drawing nimbly, as one Cisco, from our whole organizational toolset, no matter division or area throughout the firm.

By listening to our nonprofit collaborators after which choosing from our suite of confirmed interventions as we assemble a personalized assist bundle, we are able to empower our social influence companions to assist extra individuals, extra effectively, in a extra sustainable manner. We search for measurable outcomes, and we like to see our grantees utilizing expertise to vary extra lives for the higher.

Uplifting communities by digital skilling

The Chorkor Digital Lab, a undertaking run by Cisco social influence companion BASICS Worldwide, exemplifies our integrative and results-oriented strategy. BASICS supplies schooling, meals, and healthcare for youngsters locally of Chorkor and surrounding areas in Ghana, West Africa—serving to whole communities rise out of poverty. Their new lab is getting ready previously underserved college students for dynamic careers in cybersecurity, networking, and extra. Supported by Cisco Networking Academy in addition to our Know-how Grant Program, the lab gives a hub for studying, collaboration, and creativity, the place college students be taught cutting-edge expertise that may assist them flourish within the digital financial system.

Find out how college students in Ghana put together for thrilling tech careers on the Chorkor Digital Lab.

BASICS Worldwide CEO and founder Patricia Wilkins notes that Chorkor’s status as laborious to assist was precisely what impressed her to dive in and start unlocking the potential of the group. “We at all times felt we would have liked to present youngsters entry to expertise,” she stated. “After we discovered about Cisco’s program, the place they meet college students the place they’re, and provides them the technical expertise and pc expertise that they want, we bought on board.”

Sharing Cisco’s trusted curriculum and expertise

Wilkins additionally manages the BASICS Cisco Academy, making certain that college students get full entry to Cisco’s trusted curriculum as they work in the direction of the certifications that may unlock higher jobs and futures upon commencement. Cisco Networking Academy is a worldwide, IT skills-to-jobs program, providing digital expertise coaching to organize college students for industry-standard certifications and careers in networking, cybersecurity, and associated fields.

“For over twenty years, BASICS Worldwide has believed in supporting the entire little one—combining schooling, vitamin, mentorship, and life expertise to assist younger individuals thrive and lead change of their communities.” —Patricia Wilkins, CEO and founder, BASICS Worldwide

Cisco’s Know-how Grant Program supplies our personal expertise to qualifying nonprofit organizations to assist them notice important positive factors in productiveness, safety, scalability, and value effectivity. For the Chorkor Lab, a Know-how Grant was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the Networking Academy.

Patrick Verret, who managed the expertise grant, explains, “We helped them set up a safe and steady community for college students to entry Cisco Networking Academy, make the most of different on-line studying supplies, and collaborate with others throughout the web. Because of our Meraki firewalls, switches, and entry factors, college students can connect with the community all through the constructing, by way of each wired and wi-fi connections.”

Dreaming of—and dealing in the direction of—careers in tech

Already, the Lab is altering lives. “I needed to do pc science, however I couldn’t get an opportunity to do it, as a result of the charges that it’s a must to pay are very excessive. It has been my dream for therefore lengthy,” stated pupil Joyce Banahene, who’s aiming to search out work as a community engineer when she completes her certification.

Additionally feeling impressed, pupil Pleasure Adevu famous, “I’ll be working in any tech firm. Most likely Cisco, Apple, Samsung—any of them!”

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