GRA Training

Open your Mind to fulfill your potential
Home     About us     Contact us     Academy     Conference     Partner Services     Training Opportunities     Virtualisation      
Academy Structure     Consortia     Coverage     Instructor Training     Support     Cisco Academy     Cisco Entrepreneur     Microsoft Academy     VMware IT Academy     Oracle Academy      

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; 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.net 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 to your institution.

d.    A strategy for identifying the potential instructors

e.    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. 

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

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

h.    Opportunities made available to your students

i.      Opportunities beyond the courses within your institution

 

Finances for Academies

 

Funding

At the present time schools and colleges are only able to draw down funding for “vendor courses” if they are embedded within QCA approved courses and on sections 96, 97 and 99 of the LSC and ELWA list.

OCR IT Practitioners (which incorporate Cisco modules at levels 2 and 3), Edexcel BTEC Nationals (which incorporate Cisco modules at levels 2 and 3) and now the IT Diploma are all on the appropriate sections and can draw down funding through the normal funding mechanisms.  The funding level for each exam reflects the time allocated to it (Level 2 £1.2K, Level 3 £2.6 - £3.5K and is dependant upon the exam course being followed) and is substantially above that given for a corresponding “A” level route, therefore making economic sense to “encourage” this type of course delivery. 

 

As the OCR and Edexcel courses identified above are on the LSC and ELWA list of approved courses they are able to gain League Table points for the institution and UCAS points for the students.  Further, if the institution participates in the AQA Extended Project Qualification and develops this out of work initiated from the “vendor” courses then additional points will be available for little additional time on the part of the student, whilst also ensuring the student maximises the funding potential for their time in post 16 education.

 

It is also possible for institutions to add to their revenue by delivering these courses both within and outside the normal working day to the community whether on their own or in conjunction with the local Adult Education College (which could draw down post 19 funding).  It must be remembered that the cost should reflect the educational status of the institution and therefore now charge full commercial rates for the courses.  The up-skilling of technical staff within the institution is also beneficial and enables the institution from training its own staff rather than paying commercial rates to training companies.  Consequently this is a cost saving opportunity.

 

 Cisco Academy Demo course sites and datasheets:

 

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.

 

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.

 

CCNA Exploration 1        CCNA Exploration 2        CCNA Exploration 3        CCNA Exploration 4

 

CCNA Security

Security and risk management skills are among the most highly sought after skills in networking, and global demand continues to grow. Organizations around the world are experiencing a shortage of qualified ICT candidates with the specialized knowledge and skills needed to administer devices and applications in a secure infrastructure, recognize network vulnerabilities, and mitigate security threats.

CCNA Security is a hands-on, career-oriented e-learning solution with an emphasis on practical experience to help students develop specialized security skills to advance their careers.

 

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.

 

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, 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.

 

CCNP datasheet         

 

WLAN

 

Security