For Maria Hernandez of Vallejo, California, recently laid off after six years with Pacific Gas & Energy, a new pilot program that provides free IT certification training for displaced workers offers her and others a short ramp to finding rewarding, high-paying technology jobs. Cisco has teamed with its learning partner, Skyline ATS, to support the “Techsponential” project to help retrain people like Maria to help fill the IT talent skills gap. Even in the current economy, there are great job opportunities that are not being filled because employers can’t find people with requisite skills and expertise. Cisco is supporting the Techsponential program with the goal of scaling the program and linking to available economic stimulus funds as part of the Obama Workforce Retraining Initiative.

The Techsponential course is designed to plug the growing skills gap in the IT work force. There is a significant demand for these types of innovative programs. In fact, demand was so high that even after a second session was offered, 37 people were still on a waiting list.

For the pilot program, Cisco provided the curriculum and equipment. Skyline ATS provided the instructor for the 40-hour Interconnecting Cisco Network Devices 1 (ICND1) course that is part of the process towards earning Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT) certification. The Solano County Workforce Investment Board offered use of its offices for training classrooms. The value of these sessions is worth about $3,000 per individual. Not only is the training free, but each participant also receives a voucher that covers the cost of the certification examination. We’re evaluating the program and based on results, we are looking at a possible national roll out.

For people like Maria, who lost her dream job she had since she was straight out of college, Techsponential offers a way to reenter the workforce and help manage today’s increasingly sophisticated networks. We’re cheering Maria on and all those who took part in the program. Stay tuned for more information about how Cisco plans to move forward with Techsponential.