If technique units route, studying is what makes it final. Studying is among the clearest locations the place Cisco’s Objective and enterprise intersect. Guaranteeing that persons are ready to participate in a digital and AI-enabled financial system is crucial to sustainable development, long-term belief, and shared success. When individuals have the talents to adapt, organizations transfer quicker — with higher resilience and stronger outcomes.
Inside Cisco, we’ve been intentional about investing in our personal capabilities. In fiscal 2025, greater than 37,000 staff accomplished AI-focused studying — a 76% year-over-year enhance — strengthening our capacity to innovate, redesign work, and ship worth to our clients. As work continues to evolve, studying has change into one of many strongest methods leaders allow the longer term and drive momentum. For instance, at Cisco, staff are twice as doubtless to make use of AI when their supervisor does, and constant customers are extra productive and extra engaged.
On the similar time, our dedication to studying has by no means stopped at our personal partitions. By Cisco Networking Academy, we’ve helped greater than 28 million learners construct the talents wanted to take part within the digital financial system. And, by way of Be taught with Cisco, we’re supporting the White Home’s Pledge to America’s Youth: Investing in AI Schooling with a dedication to coach a million individuals throughout the US.
In December, IDC MarketScape acknowledged Cisco as a Chief in IT Coaching Providers in each Europe1 and North America2. We see that recognition not as a end line, however as encouragement to maneuver quicker — extending the arrogance and functionality we’re constructing inside Cisco to our companions, clients, and communities world wide.
Be taught extra about our progress and targets in our FY25 Objective Report.
Hundreds of thousands of Stories: The Influence of Studying
A latest dialog powerfully highlighted the significance and affect of training. Throughout a dialogue with Fairness Financial institution in Kenya about their studying applications for underserved youth, we realized that one in every of our Cisco colleagues within the assembly was a graduate of this program. She shared how this bank-sponsored training profoundly modified her life. This private testimony underscored the real-world affect of Fairness Financial institution’s efforts. As I shared how Cisco Networking Academy builds digital expertise at scale, a senior chief from the financial institution spoke up. He shared that he earned his Cisco Licensed Community Affiliate (CCNA) by way of Cisco Networking Academy — an expertise that launched his profession and led him to the government position he holds at this time.
In an organization as far-reaching as Cisco, we don’t all the time get to listen to the person tales behind our work — however after we do, they carry our affect to life. Within the final fiscal 12 months alone, greater than 5 million learners engaged with Cisco Networking Academy, which suggests hundreds of thousands of tales like these are unfolding world wide. Each is a reminder that what we do issues — creating pathways for individuals to take part extra totally sooner or later.
Studying in Partnership
One vital method that we proceed to study as a company and keep linked to our trade is thru our management of the AI Workforce Consortium. This collaboration brings collectively Cisco, Accenture, Cornerstone, Eightfold AI, Google, IBM, Certainly, Intel, Microsoft, and SAP. Collectively, we’re mapping how AI is reshaping greater than 50 essential know-how and supporting roles throughout G7 international locations — and, simply as importantly, constructing sensible pathways so individuals can put together for what’s subsequent.
The Consortium’s 2025 analysis exhibits that 78% of jobs already require AI expertise. However it additionally makes clear that human expertise — management, problem-solving, innovation, collaboration, and communication — will decide how impactful AI finally turns into.
That very same analysis reinforces the necessity for steady studying to unlock the total potential of the workforce. It’s telling that Studying & Improvement Specialist is now probably the most in-demand know-how assist position within the U.S. and Canada, underscoring how strongly organizations are prioritizing studying agility in an AI-driven financial system. That sign is tough to disregard. At Cisco, we’re performing on it by investing in new studying roles and enterprise-wide efforts that assist our individuals construct the talents to leap forward in an AI-driven future.
Permission to Rethink All the pieces
Moments just like the one I skilled in Kenya stick with me as a result of they make clear what’s actually at stake. They remind me that we live in a uncommon time — one that offers us permission to rethink every thing. How will we spend our sources? What breakthroughs will we pursue? And what sort of human expertise will we wish to allow?
At Cisco, we’re lucky to be navigating this second from a place of power, grounded in main know-how, hard-earned belief, our individuals, and our Objective.
However with that power comes the accountability to pause and ask the precise questions on how we transfer ahead collectively.
- As trade leaders, how will we assist form markets that broaden alternative and set the usual for safe, trusted, and inclusive innovation?
- As individuals leaders, how will we mannequin studying in actual time, utilizing AI ourselves and constructing cultures the place curiosity, braveness, and compassion drive progress?
- And as people, how will we adapt, unlearn, and retool, figuring out that our collective success finally relies upon on our private willingness to develop?
These questions aren’t simply theoretical for us. In fiscal 2025, we answered every with a actual and measurable dedication:
- 573,000 worker volunteer hours and the sixth consecutive 12 months exceeding our 80% group affect goal
- 31 disaster response efforts and over 900 worker volunteers supporting communities in disaster
- 100% renewable vitality to match world annual electrical energy wants at Cisco owned and leased services3
- 154 million lives positively impacted by way of the Cisco Basis and Social Influence Investments
Behind every of those metrics are human tales of resilience and expanded chance. Our accountability is to make sure this progress continues — human, inclusive, and grounded in belief. That’s how we’ll meet this second: by studying, by main, and by serving to others do the identical.
Be taught extra:
Objective at Cisco
FY25 Objective Report
Objective Reporting Hub
