Chesterfield Technical Center Named Cisco Regional Academy

Chesterfield Technical Center has recently been established as a Cisco Regional Training Academy for the Central Virginia region. This is all part of the Cisco Networking Academy Program, a cooperative venture between educational institutions and Cisco, the world leader in networking for the Internet.

Normally working within the community college system in Virginia, Cisco chose Chesterfield Technical Center as its only high school regional academy after discussions with the county’s Adult Education and Information Systems Departments indicated strong interest and support. Regional academies are responsible for training teachers who in turn teach students throughout business and industry.

This is a two-year program in which students learn to design local and wide-area networks in a lab setting. The program is a step toward developing the needed technology skills for the next generation of workers. For students, the academy offers an opportunity for immediate employment while giving them skills for the increasingly technology driven world of the future.

The information economy is demanding an unprecedented level of technology literacy from today’s workers. Many technology companies are looking to increase their Information Technology (IT) staffs in the next several years. The Cisco training program is a method to increase the number of IT workers in the central Virginia area.

In addition to the Regional Academy designed to train teachers, local academies for students have been set up in six locations. Thomas Dale and Chesterfield Community High Schools offer instruction to students in the southern end of the county. James River and Manchester High Schools offer classes to students in the northern end of Chesterfield. The Chesterfield Technical Center offers instruction in Cisco with background preparation in A+ Networking to students from all of the county high schools. The Adult Education Department is also offering Cisco instruction to adults at night in various locations. For additional information about student classes, please contact the Cisco Chesterfield Regional Director, Mike Rose at 768-6160. Information about Cisco classes for adults can be obtained from Dr. Dan Geary at 768-6140.