Cisco’s $80 million investment invites Partners “back to school”
I’ve always said that technology is moving faster than people. Should we just accept this? I believe we have a responsibility to help people everywhere build skills they need to leverage emerging technology and stay at the forefront of innovation. Digital skill-building is how we will advance and architect the rapid evolution of our information and communications technology (ICT) industry, where 92% of roles are expected to transform due to AI. Digital skills are also our best line of defense to address the global gap in cyber readiness and the shortage of 4.6 million cyber professionals which puts our world’s digital ecosystem at risk. And most importantly, skilling is a pathway to participation – giving all the chance to benefit from the promise of advanced technology.
Together, these dynamics create a pressing need for business and government leaders around the world to make sure their workforce is AI-ready and AI-enabled. Today at Cisco’s 2024 Partner Summit, we took the stage to talk about the critical need for skilling and how a new vision for Partner enablement at Cisco – will allow us to lead the way.
Skill-building as a strategic capability
The ability to learn – and rapidly translate learning into action – will differentiate companies competing in today’s hyper dynamic AI-driven market. But, we have to think about learning differently and cultivate skill-building as a strategic, ecosystem-wide capability. It’s this idea that has leaders asking if they have enough workers with the right skills, and the answer is often “not yet.” Instead, we see that:
What does all of this mean for Cisco and our Partners as we journey to AI-readiness? It means it’s time to go back to school!
Back to school with the new Cisco 360 Partner Program
Cisco 360 is the most significant evolution of our Partner program in 25 years, designed from the ground up to help Cisco Partners build their workforce, enable outcomes, and lead the way for our industry. The “school” we envision at the heart of Cisco 360 is different from schools of the past. It’s AI-centric and AI-driven, with learning that is simple, flexible and accessible. And, it includes new approaches and offers like these:
- Phase 2 of AI-Ready Infrastructure for Partners, addressing the amazing data center and AI products launching at Partner Summit this week,
- Partner Learning Journeys for simple, curated training recommendations,
- A Unified Learning Approach combining on-demand with virtual Instructor-Led Training (ILT) capabilities, so Partners get credit for skills regardless of method,
- new seller content on AI, cloud, and networking and a 2x faster update cadence, and
- our expanded AI specialization is now available to Partners free of charge.
And an $80 million investment in Partner enablement
There’s more to Cisco’s commitment to our Partners’ success. For over three decades, we’ve seen how training turns into innovation and real business value. Cisco is making an $80 million investment in two new programs to help Partners power their workforce – and their profitability. Both programs use our award-winning and AI-powered Cisco U. – the same training platform used by Cisco’s internal sales force.
Quarterly “Ladder Ups” for all Partners
First, we are making an $20 million investment in new quarterly “Ladder Up” training events, offered free to all Cisco Partners. Ladder Ups provide a self-paced training option, with hands-on labs and continuing education credits to support certifications. Each training is aligned to Cisco’s key business priorities, such as AI, security, and networking. Our first Ladder Up focuses on the critical issue of cyber resilience, offering every Cisco Partner free access to our Cybersecurity Associate training on Cisco U. This training builds skills around network defense, threat analysis, incident response, and security operations – all important components of any security practice. It’s available starting today, and you can learn more here.
10 annual all-access Cisco U. subscriptions for qualified Preferred Partners
As we roll out Cisco 360 over the next 15 months, we are also investing $60 million in our Preferred Partners’ learning journey. Qualified Preferred Partners will receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes 10 annual all-access subscriptions to Cisco U., enabling their teams with critical skills and achieve or re-certify career certifications. This investment reflects Cisco’s deep commitment to our Partners and our aim to amplify the value of Partner capabilities, performance and engagement.
As we gear up for the 2026 launch of the Cisco 360 Partner Program, we will work to make sure the “on ramp” is easy and sets us up for success. Our work reflects significant feedback from our Partners, and we’re counting on that feedback loop continuing as we bring Cisco 360 Partner enablement to life.
Deep technological skills turn possibility into opportunities
Announcing these new offers has been a highlight of this year’s Partner Summit. I especially appreciated the chance to convey in person the deep gratitude we have for the tens of thousands of Partners who scale Cisco around the world and deepen our impact in such meaningful ways.
In my 28 years at Cisco, I have seen two important constants – the critical role our Partners play in our success, and the power of education and digital skilling to elevate individuals, communities and companies. Cisco and our Partners have embraced these ideas for a long time now, and our commitment to leading through learning is only deepening as we get ready together for another technological revolution.
Let’s get started now with Partner Training at Cisco U.
Learn More:
The Transformational Opportunity of AI on ICT Jobs – Cisco Blogs
Bridging the Customer AI-Readiness Gap_The Opportunities Ahead for Partners
Cisco AI Readiness Index – Cisco
AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium Expands to G7 Countries – Cisco Blogs
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