Cisco Systems to set up
11 networking academies in Jamaica

Monday, 17 September 2001: Cisco Systems, a global leader in computer networking for the Internet, is partnering with the Government of Jamaica and UNDP to establish 11 networking academies in Jamaica.

The US$1.4 million initiative supports the government's objective of generating employment and reducing poverty by equipping Jamaicans with skills needed to take advantage of opportunities in the information technology (IT) sector, both locally and globally.

The project is the first of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean and will be extended to include other students from the region.

Phillip Paulwell, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Technology, said that the overall aim of the project is to "develop a knowledge and information society." The academies will train technicians with the "skills to access and use information data and knowledge to enhance learning, to generate employment to reduce poverty and increase the sector's contribution to GDP," he said.

Jamaica has launched a five-year plan to transform the country into a knowledge-based society using IT and e-commerce tools to create employment opportunities at all levels of society, said Mr. Paulwell. The Cisco academies are one of several initiatives aimed at moving the plan forward.

"This initiative will create a critical mass of technicians for Jamaica who can design, build and maintain computer networks," said Gillian Lindsay-Nanton, UNDP Resident Representative. "It will fill a growing demand for network specialists, whose knowledge and experience will contribute to Jamaica's development."

The two-year project will initially provide training in information technology for more than 100 Jamaicans beginning in January 2002, who will prepare for certification as Cisco certified network associates.

Cisco is establishing a Regional Academy at the Stony Hill Human Vocational Institute of the Resource and Training (HEART) Trust / National Training Agency in St. Andrew and 10 local academies at other institutions around the island. Together, the academies will train 420 students annually.

For further information, please contact Gillian Lindsay-Nanton, UNDP Jamaica, or Erin Trowbridge, UNDP Communications Office.