Founded more than 25 years ago, Cisco Networking Academy continues to be one of the longest-standing IT skills-to-jobs programs of its kind, in the world. But how can a 25-year-old program address today's digital skills hiring trends?

Now, more than ever, 'disruption' is at the top of mind for businesses around the globe. A program such as Networking Academy, which was set up at its foundation to provide learners with the most up-to-date and in-demand technical skills, is well-placed to address the needs of the current and future global digital skills market.

Change has always been at the core of the Networking Academy program's offerings.

A recent WEF Future of Jobs Report found that more than 85 percent of organizations surveyed said that transformation of their organization will be driven by increased adoption of new and frontier technologies and broadening digital access.

Networking Academy, through it's extensive ecosystem of education partners and flexible learning options, is training those change agents, today.

About the Be the Bridge and Golden Bridge Awards

Cisco Networking Academy's Be the Bridge Awards were launched during Networking Academy's first-ever virtual Global Partner Conference in May 2021 (fiscal 2020) to recognize the exemplary efforts of Networking Academy partners who lead in their dedication to achieving student success. Every Be the Bridge Award winner has excelled in one or more of the following categories: Inclusive Futures, Global Reach, Impacting Lives, Learning Innovation, and Partnerships.

Additionally, in each of Cisco Networking Academy's geographic regions, a prestigious Golden Bridge Award is presented to the individual or institution that showed exceptional commitment to prioritizing student success over the previous year.

The success of Cisco Networking Academy is powered by the dedication and passion of people who work towards providing equitable access to education for all. Our united purpose remains the same: to impact the lives of learners, educators, and communities through the power of technology, education, and career opportunities.

It was my absolute pleasure to present the majority of our Golden Bridge Award winners for 2023 in-person at various Partner Conferences held from May to June. Each Be the Bridge winner in each region received a certificate of achievement, a trophy, and were entered as finalists in the annual Golden Bridge Awards, with an opportunity to celebrate their achievement through blogs and other social marketing materials. In addition, Golden Bridge Award winners receive a trophy and publicity on Cisco.com.

I am thrilled to share the five Cisco Networking Academy Golden Bridge Award Winners for 2023.

2023 Golden Bridge Award winners

University of Information Technology and Management, Poland

Lucjan Hajder (second from left) accepts Golden Bridge Award for UITM. Pictured with Coumara Radja -Cisco VP Engineering, Cisco Networking Academy, Laura Quintana -VP & GM, Cisco Networking Academy, and Reem Asad, VP Middle East & Africa, Cisco

This award recognizes the outstanding response and partnership to support Ukrainian refugees in building their digital skills and employability through the Start IT educational program Cisco4Ukraine. University of Information Technology and Management's (UITM) ability to scale at speed from 700 people in the pilot phase to 5,000 new registrations with the official launch of the program on February 1, 2023, shows how the partnerships with Networking Academy are impacting lives. Thank you to everyone behind this initiative.

Learn more in this video.

As a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022, millions of Ukrainian civilians were forced to flee to other countries, mainly to Poland. According to figures from the UN refugee agency, 90 percent of these refugees were women and children. Poles opened hearts and homes to host Ukrainian refugees and help them to overcome many challenges and establish a new life.

UITM is based in Rzesz