News Article

College offers Cisco program


12/6/2000 4:23:52 PM


The college has three Cisco Systems Networking Academy programs in Labrador, Grand Falls-Windsor and Stephenville. From left are LAN adminstrator Darren Swyers and Associate District Administrator Cyril Organ of the Stephenville campus who took part in the announcement. -- Georgian Photo.

December 4, 2000 - College of the North Atlantic, in conjunction with Memorial University of Newfoundland and Cisco Systems Canada Co. today announced three new Cisco Systems Networking Academy Program sites in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Cisco Systems Networking Academy program is designed to teach students to design, build and maintain computer networks. Through the program, high school and college students learn the skills needed to prepare them for the Cisco Certified Networking Associate (CCNA) exam. CCNA certification positions students for immediate openings in the job market or for engineering and science-focused post-secondary studies.

The academies will be located in existing college facilities in Grand Falls-Windsor, Stephenville and Labrador City (the Interactive Learning Centre, which is a partnership among the Iron Ore Company of Canada, Memorial University and the College of the North Atlantic).

“This alliance with Memorial University and the Cisco Networking Academy Program adds value to the college’s School of Information Technology. It will strengthen our curriculum and provide additional IT certifications options for our full-time students and the community at large,” says Pamela Walsh, president, College of the North Atlantic.

“The Cisco Systems Networking Academy program will prepare the business leaders of tomorrow by teaching students the skills they need to compete in this new information conomy,’’ says Rod Murphy, Major Account Manager, Eastern Canada, Cisco Systems Canada Co. ‘‘Building a strong, networking-literate workforce is of critical importance to building a strong Canada in the information age.’’

Dr. Evan Simpson, Memorial's vice-president (academic), noted that Memorial's partnership with the college will benefit rural communities. "We are pleased to work with College of the North Atlantic to give communities in the province access to this specialized IT training," he said. "The university is committed to providing students in rural Newfoundland and Labrador with educational opportunities and this initiative will mean that many more people in this province will be able to participate in the increasingly significant IT sector."

The Cisco Systems Networking Academy Program consists of 280 hours of course work including a complete range of basics pulling cable to complex concepts such as sub-net masking rules and strategies. Since Cisco launched the Networking Academy Program in Canada in 1998, more than 200 secondary schools, colleges and universities have become involved.

About Cisco Systems Canada Co.
Cisco Systems - with $18.8 billion (US) in revenues and over 30,000 employees - is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Established in 1990, Cisco Systems Canada employs over 300 employees across Canada dedicated to sales and service. In addition, Cisco has approximately 350 employees at their research and development site in Kanata, Ontario.

The Internet is changing the way people work, live, learn and play - and Cisco Systems Canada is a primary agent of this change and a compelling example of the power of this revolution. By widely deploying business solutions based on the Internet, Cisco Systems saves over $825 million (US) per year in operating costs, has grown revenues by 100% in two years and has increased customer satisfaction at the same time. Cisco produces networking solutions for enterprise organizations, service providers and small/emerging businesses. Additional information on the company and its products can be found at http://www.cisco.com/ca.

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For more information contact:

Steve Quinton, chair
School of Information Technology
College of the North Atlantic
(709) 466-6930
email: steve.quinton@northatlantic.nf.ca