Cisco chief tackles digital skills shortfall

UK businesses are failing to adapt the skillsets of their teams in response to the rapid advancements in the technology sector, contributing to a nationwide digital skills gap. This is the view of Sarah Walker, UK & Ireland CEO of the digital communications conglomerate Cisco, who believes that engaging individuals at the outset of their careers, as well as normalising reskilling throughout all stages of career development, is necessary.

According to data from consulting firm Capita, 8.5 million people across the UK lack essential digital skills, while 82% of UK jobs demand these skills. This means, according to Capita‘s propositions consultant lead Justice Onwuka, these individuals are limited to just 18% of the available job opportunities.

Cisco currently runs a number of initiatives to address the UK’s skills gap, including its Pathways programme targeting “young people from low-socioeconomic areas, diverse ethnic backgrounds, and those who identify as female and non-binary”. The programme, says Walker, aims to raise career aspirations and inspire careers in technology, addressing the tech sector’s lack of diversity.

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The company also runs the Cisco Networking Academy, a free platform that provides individuals – including Cisco‘s own clients – with key digital skills in areas such as cybersecurity and AI readiness. The academy is available to schools, who have used the platform to “augment their STEM curriculum” and, says Walker, is “a great way to bring industry and education closer together”.

Since its launch in 1997, the Cisco Networking Academy has had 24 million users, and, since 2005, has helped students obtain a career and/or an educational opportunity. Walker says Cisco rapidly modifies its programmes as technologies emerge – such as adding a specific AI readiness module to its Pathways programme in the last 12 months.

Cisco‘s integration of nascent AI technologies into its existing products demonstrates that adoption can be gradual. It is Walker‘s opinion, however, that some organisations remain concerned that adopting new technologies, such as AI, constitutes a significant deviation from their existing strategic framework.

When deciding what to pick from the plethora of AI technologies available, Walker says Cisco asks “what would be the most natural transition for us?” and “how do we take some of the mundane, menial tasks away from an individual and automate those to make them more effective and productive?”

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Take its videoconferencing platform, which now features an AI assistant: “I join a meeting and rather than having to take notes, Webex will automatically note down the meeting or give headlines and highlights of different chapters within the meeting,” says Walker. “If I join a meeting late, I’m able to receive a quick recap from the AI assistant so I’m up to speed.”

Walker is keen to stress that this AI usage is “additive” – it’s not replacing anything or anyone, but allows her as a CEO to work more efficiently.

They will need to be proactive in addressing these challenges.