Education and Training News Cisco Opens Centre in Portugal and Joins UMIC-promoted Higher Education ICT Academies Cisco Opens Centre in Portugal and Joins UMIC-promoted Higher Education ICT Academies
- 08/05/2008Cisco System’s Hércules Centre at Lagoas Park, Porto Salvo, was officially opened at 11 a.m. on 9th May 2008. This signifies an increase in the company’s presence in Portugal with 150 new highly-qualified technological posts This centre will provide trained support to Cisco Systems Inc.’s operations in Europe, replacing and expanding services that were previously provided from the Netherlands.
The ceremony, chaired by Prime Minister Jose Socrates, also involved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Portuguese State and Cisco Systems Inc., similar to that signed with Microsoft in January 2006 concerning various ways in which Cisco and the Portuguese State will work together.
As regards the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, the MoU also specifies cooperation between Cisco and The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) to incorporate Cisco Networking Academies within the UMIC ICT Academies in Higher Education initiative, particularly with regard to polytechnics, along with the Microsoft Academies, which signed a protocol between UMIC and Microsoft on 30 November 2007. These academies concentrate on providing vocational training in ICT and internationally recognised certificates in these areas which are prepared by companies of international standing in the area of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
The Information Society action programme Connecting Portugal concentrates on stimulating ICT training and skill development, and improving the supply of personnel for different target groups through the acquisition of technological skills by young people that are crucial for the modern job market, as well as recognising and accrediting existing skills.
In this context, and given the fact that there is a shortage of ICT professionals in Portugal, the aim is to set up and operate ICT Academies in conjunction with companies in this sector that have ICT vocational training and certification programmes, together with polytechnics and universities.
The objective is also for these initiatives to foster the creation of local networks that galvanise ICT skills, and involve higher educational institutions, primary and secondary schools, job training, vocational support and social development institutions, business associations and companies.
It is envisaged that 250 new Cisco Networking Academies will open in Portugal.