Arkansas Celebrates 10 Years Of Cisco Academies

Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe yesterday helped commemorate the state's 10-year partnership with Cisco that has led to the creation of 44 Cisco Academies in two-year colleges, universities and high schools. Over the past decade, more than 7,000 Arkansans have graduated from information-technology courses through the Cisco Networking Academy Program.

"More than ever, preparing our students to compete for good jobs requires good technology training," Beebe said. "Through the joint efforts of Cisco and our schools, we are producing qualified students in information technology throughout our state."

The academies, coordinated through the Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges, teach 16 Internet-technology courses giving students hands-on experience to prepare for IT careers. Arkansas currently has more than 1,300 students participating in the program.

Arkansas was one of the first states to sign on to the Cisco Academies partnership. Ten years later, there are now more than 10,000 academies in 150 countries.