In an age where technology evolves at lightning speed, the skills gap in Canada’s workforce poses a significant challenge. With a growing demand for tech talent and a surplus of graduates unprepared for the industry, organizations must step up to create pathways for success. In this interview, Wayne Cuervo, Director at Cisco Canada’s Digital Impact Office, and Guy-Vincent Jourdan, Professor at the University of Ottawa, discuss the urgent need for public-private partnerships, the transformative impact of Cisco’s Networking Academy, and how collaborations like theirs are shaping the future of Canada’s digital workforce. Together, they illuminate the critical steps needed to empower the next generation of tech leaders and address the pressing issue of productivity in the Canadian economy.
Can you tell us about the ongoing skills gap across Canada, and how does it affect new graduates entering tech?
WC: Right now, nearly half of Canadian young people are struggling to find jobs, even though we need 250,000 more tech workers by 2025. This highlights a clear mismatch between employers’ needs and graduates’ skills, and if left unaddressed, this gap is likely to widen due to the rapid digitalization we’ve experienced in recent years.
GJ: As a result, our graduates are feeling the brunt of this impact. While they complete their degrees in IT fields, more can be done to provide the hands-on skills that employers need. We must continually evolve to keep up with technological advancements and labor market shifts. This means equipping our students with real-world experience so they’re ready to successfully enter the workforce.
How can public-private partnerships solve for this gap?
WC: Upskilling plays an important role in ensuring people can thrive in today’s digital economy. But, we know we can’t do this alone. That’s why public-private collaboration is critical for Canada’s future. Through partnerships like this with uOttawa, as well as programs like Cisco Networking Academy and CDA, we can leverage our technology, expertise and scale to create new opportunities for communities we operate within. By teaming up with uOttawa, we have the ability not only to close this gap, but to power the next generation of leaders.
In Cisco’s 2023 Purpose Report, you highlighted a notable increase in Networking Academy participation in Canada. What factors have contributed to this growth, and what does it mean for the future of the Canadian workforce? Cisco’s Networking Academy is a longstanding program aimed at developing digital skills across the country. Could you share more about the Academy’s impact and how it supports your mission to power an inclusive future for all?
WC: At Cisco, our purpose is to power an inclusive future for all and it drives us to ensure the benefits of digital readiness reach everyone, empowering Canadians regardless of their background or location.
Through Cisco Networking Academy, the world’s largest and longest-running skills-to-jobs program, we provide IT courses and industry-recognized credentials to equip individuals with the skills needed for the digital economy. Since its inception in Canada, Networking Academy has trained over 340,000 individuals and supported more than 247 educational institutions, helping build more inclusive communities through expanded access to education.
Through these efforts, we’re able to meet learners where they are—whether in high schools, vocational colleges, universities, nonprofits, or through independent learning—providing not only skills but also the resources needed to support career growth. This commitment helps bridge the digital skills gap, enabling Canadians across the country to actively participate in the workforce of the future, regardless of where they live or their experience. This means a more adaptable, skilled, and inclusive Canadian workforce, ready to maximize their opportunities in the evolving digital economy.
What inspired the University of Ottawa to partner with Cisco, and why is this collaboration important for Ottawa?
GJ: In a city like Ottawa, where the tech industry is booming and government IT plays a vital role, partnering with Cisco is key to our commitment to equipping our students for success. By bringing the expertise to create real opportunities for our students, we have the ability to support Canada’s digital leadership, which is at the heart of our mission at uOttawa. Also, since we’re located in the capital, we have the unique platform to set a standard for the country. It’s through collaborations like this that we can continue empowering our students and bolstering Canada’s reputation as an innovation hub.
How will the CCNA certification and new Cyber Range equipment affect your graduates’ job prospects and cybersecurity research?
GJ: This certification is about providing real-world experience. We want to support our graduates by giving them the tools that could help open doors to diverse IT roles. By adding Cisco’s CCNA certification to uOttawa’s Computer and Software Engineering courses, we’re helping students become job-ready before they graduate.
But our partnership goes beyond our curriculum; it will bring new equipment for hands-on cyber training to our Cyber Range – a unique facility for learning, training and research that benefits not only students but also researchers and companies. It’s our goal that the Cyber Range can enhance our understanding of cybersecurity while fostering ongoing learning and research, ensuring we’re well equipped for future threats.
Looking ahead, how can collaborations like this one between uOttawa and Cisco help tackle Canada’s productivity challenge, particularly through skill development? And what message would you like to share with Canadian businesses striving to stay competitive in an evolving digital landscape?
WC: Addressing Canada’s productivity challenges is deeply tied to bridging the digital skills gap. In today’s economy, productivity growth depends on having a workforce equipped with the right digital skills. Collaborations like this one with uOttawa are essential for fostering innovation and upskilling Canadians so that Canada remains competitive and that the benefits of the digital economy are widely shared.
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