Cisco’s Global Talent Acceleration Program Grows From Strength to Strength as It Marks Its Third Anniversary in South Africa

Graduates From Program Created to Develop Homegrown Technical Skills to Increase 10-fold in 2011

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 20 April 2011 – Cisco announced today that the number of graduates coming out of its Global Talent Acceleration Program (GTAP) in South Africa has increased 10-fold since the program started in March 2008. From just 14 graduates in 2008 and 80 graduates in 2010, 140 students are projected to  graduate in 2011.

Now entering its third year in South Africa and growing from strength to strength, the Cisco® program is part of a long-term Cisco initiative aimed at developing home-grown information technology and communications skills to contribute to South Africa’s economy, GDP growth and employment. GTAP students, referred to as delegates, are recruited from all walks of life. Some are professionals with three to five years’ work experience; some are employed by Cisco partners and customers; and some are recruited from underprivileged communities throughout South Africa. All graduates are guaranteed jobs with Cisco partners or customers.

Highlights / Key Facts

• South Africa has experienced, and continues to experience, tremendous growth in information and communications technology. The 2010 Grant Thornton International Business Report shows that the lack of a skilled workforce is South African business owners’ largest (34 percent) constraint to growth, for the fourth year in a row. Furthermore, many businesses in South Africa have expressed concern about the lack of skills they are seeing coming from university graduates, which result in poor performance. As a result, skills development has become a key focus for businesses operating in South Africa.
• The Cisco Global Talent Acceleration Program is supported by  South Africa’s Department of Trade and Industry and aims to employ and train South African recruits at the professional and associate levels.
• Selected delegates are put through a rigorous 14- to 20-week program that combines theory, industry exposure and hands-on experience.
• The Kelly Group is the recruiting company that advertises for and vets potential delegates. Anyone can apply to join the program.
• GTAP delegates go through the training in relatively small groups of 16 people. This enables GTAP to put a strong emphasis on technical and professional training and mentorship as well as on-the-job training. The program covers technical training in subject areas including data center, unified communications and service providers, and routing and switching. All graduates are guaranteed jobs either with Cisco or its customers and partners.
• GTAP is a core part of Cisco’s strategy to be a truly global company through the creation of new business models and the acceleration of local talent networks. GTAP has particular relevance in emerging countries, where there is a need to train and transition staff in service delivery. It is a profoundly sustainable program, which is reflected in the way it has been designed and structured.

Executive Quotes

• Nimrod Zalk, acting director general at the Department of Trade and Industry:

“Since the ICT sector capacity is directly linked to the size and skill of the available workforce, there is a need to find a solution that supplements the education system and university training, a solution that is supported by both the industry and government. The shrinking pipeline in terms qualified candidates skilled in  programs such as information systems and computer science has created a challenge that compels the local industries to look outside South Africa for skilled human resources. Although this solution offers temporary relief, it has the potential to increase the cost of doing business in the ICT sector. The Department of Trade and Industry is pleased that Cisco, in response to the skills shortage and the need to comply with the National Industrial Participation requirements, has introduced the Global Talent Acceleration Program aimed at providing technical and professional skills through education, exposure and on-the-job training to students from the historically disadvantaged communities in South Africa. In support for the Cisco initiative, the department, through its National Industrial Participation program, has granted approval to Cisco for the implementation of GTAP to satisfy its NIP obligation and wishes Cisco all the successes going forward.”

• Brian Tarr, Storetech, South Africa:

“Storetech has  been a proud supporter of the Cisco GTAP for a number of years now. The level of candidates that the program produces seems to be getting better and better each year. The fact that a strict screening process is adopted up front as well as throughout the program ensures that the candidates that eventually graduate are of the highest caliber and standard. We like the well-rounded yet disciplined approach of the program, with a large emphasis being placed not only on the technical training but also on the softer people side in terms of developing the communications skills and confidence of the individuals. The fact that the program covers the full scope of Cisco solutions, including voice, routing and switching, security, data centre and service providers, means that you will always be presented with high-caliber individuals certified in Cisco’s strategic growth areas.” 

• Warwick Talbot, Accenture, South Africa:

“GTAP is a great idea, as it gives young students the opportunity to get in-depth training in a highly sought-after skill set. We were impressed by the fast-track approach that not only focuses on in-depth technical knowledge but also includes some basic business skills and even a sales perspective. With their theoretical training in place, we were quickly able to put the delegates to work on projects for them to gain some additional practical experience. GTAP has provided a good basis for their future careers in networking.”

• Johan Vorster, Standard Bank, South Africa:

“We have witnessed a definite growth in maturity in the people attending the GTAP from a personal and technical view. They collaborate or a higher level, and the contribution made to the environment is more positive than before. They participate in every facet of the planning phases and are not scared to give their technical input. Definitely worth the program.”

• David Meads, general manager for Cisco in South Africa:

“Instead of importing talent from other regions on a temporary basis, GTAP helps Cisco to provide our partners and customers with a long-term solution in the form of a highly skilled and well-trained local work force. The skills that GTAP provides to its graduates contribute to the local knowledge infrastructures that are critical for accelerating and sustaining economic growth in South Africa.”

Links / URLs:

• For more details about GTAP visit: http://www.cisco.com/web/services/gtap/
• RSS Feed for Cisco: http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/rss.html
• News@Cisco in Africa: http://newsroom.cisco.com/africa
• Cisco South Africa Website: http://www.cisco.com/web/ZA/index.html

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. Cisco equipment in emerging markets is supplied by Cisco Systems International BV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems, Inc.

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