Imparting skills: K-P govt signs MoU to establish seven Cisco academies

Computer networking academies to be set up at universities in seven divisions of K-P

PESHAWAR: The provincial government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cisco Systems, an IT company based in California, to establish seven networking academies at various universities across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa by May.

The agreement was signed on Tuesday during a ceremony held at Pearl Continental Hotel in the provincial capital. Minister for Health and Information Technology (IT) Shahram Tarakai, Country Manager for Cisco Naveed Qazi and Science and Technology and IT Secretary Farah Hamid Khan attended the event. The MoU was signed by Qazi and Khan.

According to the agreement, the company will establish seven Cisco academies at universities in all seven divisions of the province. The initiative will provide training to information technology students and professionals who will be issued a Cisco certification once these sessions draw to a close.



In her welcome address, Khan termed the MoU a step towards using information and communication technology (ICT) to ensure young people gain skills which provide them with a competitive edge in the job market.

Speaking on the occasion, Zahid Nawaz, a project manager at the Directorate of Information Technology, said the academies will be set up at various universities.

“These will include University of Peshawar, UET Peshawar, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Gomal University, Hazara University and Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan,” he said.

According to Nawaz, the first Cisco academy will be established in the provincial capital over the next two weeks and the number of academies is likely to increase.

The IT company will provide its hardware at a 75% discount for the academies. “A 70% discount will be provided on issuing Cisco certification to graduates,” said Nawaz. “The remaining 30% of the cost will be paid by the government.”

According to Nawaz, those who will be trained under the programme will subsequently run the networking academies and train others.

During the ceremony, Tarakai said the academies were aimed at training young professionals who have degrees but do not have the skills required by a competitive job market.

“We want these professionals and students to gain skills required in the international job market,” he said. “The only way to connect these professionals with the world is through the ICT since very few people want to visit K-P and only a handful get the opportunity to go abroad.”

The government is also trying to get Microsoft and Oracle to invest in the province and improve opportunities for young professionals, he added. .

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2015.