Ten years in the past, Cisco Networking Academy launched the Ladies Rock-IT initiative within the APJC area to assist deal with the gender imbalance within the tech trade.
This system was designed to indicate younger ladies that there’s a future for them in tech, with actions together with Study-A-Thons, volunteer occasions, and reside digital broadcasts that includes distinguished ladies in IT who might function inspiring role-models for Ladies Rock-IT individuals. Throughout this time, Ladies Rock-IT has hosted 82 broadcast occasions with 141 audio system, seen by over 2 million viewers, leading to 868,481 course registrations.
Present LinkedIn information suggests ladies compromise simply 29.2% of all Science Know-how Engineering Math (STEM) employees. As a result of this underrepresentation of girls within the STEM workforce right now reinforces an underrepresentation sooner or later, it’s important we deal with this problem.
At Cisco our company function is to energy an inclusive future for all, and addressing a gender imbalance in STEM is an integral a part of that.
Attracting ladies to tech
I’m thrilled to report that efforts like Ladies Rock-IT are paying off. Over the previous ten years, we’ve elevated the presence of girls and women in Cisco Networking Academy programs from 20 % to 27 %, globally. Clearly, now we have additional to go, however a 35 % improve in participation of girls in this system is a major achievement that speaks volumes about our collective dedication.
Massive points
Yearly for the reason that inception of Ladies Rock-IT in 2013, ladies on the chopping fringe of technological innovation discuss their expertise within the subject. Individuals achieve helpful insights about how ladies can thrive in what remains to be too continuously seen as a male area.
From its first regional APJC speaker Monica Morrow who, on the time, was the area’s Chief Technical Officer and spoke about having a seat on the desk, to final 12 months’s inspiring international panel broadcasting on efficiently making use of know-how to local weather tech challenges, Ladies Rock-IT individuals get to listen to from those that have solid significant careers in tech, addressing urgent problems with the day.
Women in ICT Day: a marquee Ladies Rock-IT occasion
The annual marquee occasion of Ladies Rock-IT aligns with Worldwide Women in ICT Day. This 12 months, the Ladies Rock-IT program addressed Synthetic Intelligence (AI), which has the potential to vary every part, together with its inherent moral challenges.
AI is about to vary the world, and tomorrow’s IT workforce must be AI-literate. In our Q2 FY24 Cisco Networking Academy Pupil End result Survey of 1,400 college students, 63 % of Cisco Networking Academy college students inform us they’re utilizing AI right now and 17 % have already got superior abilities on this space.
We’re proud our college students are at the forefront of know-how studying. In actual fact, 88 % of our college students imagine Cisco Networking Academy is on the forefront of this quickly evolving tech world.
Our current Cisco Networking Academy pupil survey reveals that 53 % of males are already harnessing AI at work, in comparison with simply 44 % of females, however that extra ladies than males are looking forward to AI training.
Women in ICT Actions
This 12 months’s Women in ICT Day on April 25 impacted 36,025 college students reached by way of the reside broadcast, World Study-A-Thon, and Cisco worker volunteer occasions, with 1.23 million attain on social media channels.
Congratulations to the Ladies Rock-IT workforce and Cisco volunteers for orchestrating a very impactful Women in ICT Day occasion. It was an inspiring showcase that highlighted our dedication to fostering variety within the tech trade.
Inspiring audio system
For our reside broadcast, main ladies in AI shared their expertise within the subject.
Dr. Tanya Berger-Wolf mentioned her work as a computational ecologist working on the distinctive intersection of laptop science, wildlife biology, and social sciences. Tanya is Director of the Translational Information Analytics Institute and Professor of Laptop Science Engineering, Electrical and Laptop Engineering, in addition to Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology on the Ohio State College.
Dr. Elizabeth Bondi-Kelly, Assistant Professor on the College of Michigan explored the influence of AI on society. She mentioned moral concerns of AI and advocates for accountable AI growth to mitigate dangers and guarantee useful outcomes for all.
World Study-A-Thon
This 12 months, the World Study-A-Thon noticed college students team-up to take introductory programs in Information Science or Cybersecurity, with a digital badge awarded to these attaining 70 % or extra on their examination and a Cisco Study-A-Thon expertise digital badge.
“I’m actually impressed by Ladies Rock-IT,” says attendee Thendeka Zesuliwe Zikode from rural Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. “My want is to review extra and get full help in know-how and AI, in order that I may help different women round my ’hood.”
Cisco occasions
Over 230 Cisco volunteers organized occasions in Cisco places of work and colleges worldwide this 12 months. Attendees had been capable of meet ladies working for Cisco and discuss to them about their expertise in tech.
Get entangled
Lastly, I’d prefer to take this chance to thank all of the Cisco staff, Academy companions and instructors, and our audio system for getting behind Women in ICT. The influence this makes wouldn’t be potential with out you.
Study how one can become involved in 2025
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