How to become a Cisco Academy? 

1. Educational institutions and nonprofit organisations are eligible to become academies.

2. Regional academies are responsible for supporting local academies and training their instructors.

3. Local academies deliver training to students.

4. Any institution wishing to join the Cisco Academy Programme must be attached to a Regional Academy or as from July 2012 an Academy Support Centre (ASC); this is a support structure and not based on geographical locality.

5. The first step is to contact a regional academy and arrange a visit from a regional academy (following the visit a contract to be signed if you choose to proceed) info@gratraining.co.uk giving:

a. your name,

b. your roll within your institution,

c. name and address of your institution,

d. phone number

e. Whether you are a school, college, university or charitable organisation.

6. This visit will

a. Discuss the introduction of the Cisco Academy Programme in your institution.

b. Inform you of the nature of the programme and how suitable it is for your institution.

c. A strategy for identifying the potential instructors

d. Outline the training required and when this can be undertaken in order to facilitate the delivery to your next cohort of students in the next academic year.

e. The room for delivery and the methods of delivery will be outlined along with those for the institution and student alike.

f. Cost involved and the cost recovery for your institution.

g. Opportunities made available to your students

h. Opportunities beyond the courses within your institution

i. lab bundles prices excluding VAT - Jan 2012:

j. Tools required for Cisco Network Academy Programme

Cisco Networking Academy Structure 

From its outset in 1997 the Cisco Networking Academy programme has followed a hierarchical structure based on a  3 tier model.

CATC (Cisco Academy Training Centre) - responsible for the training needs and support of Regional Academies, and following a Quality Assurance Plan as set out by the Cisco Networking Academy Team.  Here the training was gained from Cisco who helped support these institutions.

Cisco Regional Academy - responsible for the training needs and support of the Local Academies. Here the Regional Academy would visit the local academies at least once a year, giving advise and guidance and also following a Quality Assurance Plan as set out by the Cisco Networking Academy Team. Regional Academy instrtuctors would attend CATC instructor training programmes in order to be eligible to train the local Academy instructors.  A Regional Academy is not geographically based but is a support process which normally looks after local academies within their own country.

Cisco Local Academy - responsible for the day to day delivery of the courses to students and community groups alike. In order to deliver the courses local academies must sign up to, and pay a support contract with a Regional Academy. Only trained instructors can deliver the Cisco Networking Academy courses. 

Cisco Academy Evolution

As a result of changes instigated within the Pacific theatre the Cisco Networking Academy Programme is about to undergo a structural change within the UK during the summer of 2012. The structure will change to that of a 2 tier system, in which all academies will have a direct contract with the Cisco Networking Academy in the US and an additional contract with an Academy Support Centre.

There will be little change for the local academies as they  are responsible for the delivery to the student / community groups. They will be required to have a contract with Cisco directly and also have an active contracts for support, training and resources.

The upper tier is formed by Training Centres, Support Centres and Resource Centres who will be responsible for the support and training of staff within the local academies.

CCNA Discovery

The Cisco CCNA Discovery curriculum provides foundational networking knowledge, practical experience, opportunities for career exploration, and soft-skills development to help students prepare for entry-level careers in IT and networking. The curriculum offers a hands-on approach to learning, and uses interactive tools and easy-to-follow labs to help students learn the general theory needed to build networks.

CCNA Discovery is designed to be offered as an independent, standalone curriculum or combined with programs offered by secondary schools, technical schools, colleges, and universities. Students who enroll in CCNA Discovery are not expected to have any previous technical skills or knowledge, aside from basic PC skills.

Demo Links: CCNA Discovery 1 CCNA Discovery 2 CCNA Discovery 3 CCNA Discovery 4

CCNA Exploration

The Cisco CCNA Exploration curriculum provides a comprehensive overview of networking; from fundamentals to advanced applications and services. It is based on a top-down approach to networking that is popular in many colleges and universities. This course emphasizes theoretical concepts and practical application, while providing opportunities for students to gain the skills and hands-on experience needed to design, install, operate, and maintain networks in small-to-medium businesses, as well as enterprise and service provider environments.  CCNA Exploration offers in-depth theory, challenging labs, and a detailed overview of protocol operations. It is designed for students with advanced problem-solving and analytical skills, such as degree candidates in engineering, math, or science, or for working professionals who would like to advance their careers or gain certification. CCNA Exploration was designed to be integrated into technology curricula or continuing education programs at postsecondary institutions such as technical schools, colleges, and universities.

Demo Links: CCNA Exploration 1 CCNA Exploration 2 CCNA Exploration 3 CCNA Exploration 4

CCNA Security

IT Essentials

PC Hardware and Software v4.0 covers the fundamentals of computer hardware and software as well as advanced concepts mapping against CompTIA A+ certification. Students who complete this course will be able to describe the internal components of a computer, assemble a computer system, install an operating system, and troubleshoot using system tools and diagnostic software. Students will also be able to connect to the Internet and share resources in a network environment. New topics included in this version include laptops and portable devices, wireless connectivity, security, safety and environmental issues, and communication skills.  Hands-on lab activities will continue to be an essential element of the course. In support of this, virtual learning tools are integrated into this course. The Virtual Laptop and Virtual Desktop are stand-alone tools designed to supplement classroom learning and provide an interactive "hands-on" experience in learning environments with limited physical equipment.

Demo Link: IT Essentials   IT Essentials datasheet

CCNP

The Cisco CCNP® curriculum includes four modules, which align with the four exams required for CCNP certification. The CCNP curriculum builds on Cisco CCNA® courses with more complex network configurations, diagnosis, and troubleshooting. The curriculum is intended for those interested in continuing their post-CCNA preparation to become network administrators, Level 2 support engineers, Level 2 systems engineers, network technicians, or deployment engineers. Students interested in this course should have completed CCNA 1-4, or the equivalents. CCNA certification is also desirable; however, the latter it is not a prerequisite. The new CCNP courses can be taken in any order. However it is recommended that students take Building Multilayer Switched Networks before taking Optimizing Converged Networks. The four courses include: Building Scalable Internetworks, Implementing Secured Converged Wide-area Networks, Building Multilayer Switched Networks, and Optimizing Converged Networks.