Latin America Increasing IT Education to Improve Skills

Sep 20
2009

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Latin America is lagging in terms of networked readiness, according to recent report by the World Economic Forum and the graduate business school INSEAD.

Grim though that may be for the competitiveness of the region, part of the solution may already be in place in the shape of a keen interest to invest and form partnerships that will boost the level of IT skills in many Latin American countries.

Joint initiatives between the Cisco Networking Academy and governments in Brazil, Mexico and Colombia are expected to create opportunities for 2000 new Academy students by 2010.

Other countries such as Costa Rica and Chile are also becoming involved with these public-private partnerships. To find out why, News@Cisco caught up with Jaime Valles, vice president, Cisco Latin America.

Why are Latin American governments entering into partnerships with Cisco right now?

Jaime Valles: A lot of research indicates that investing in education and technology correlates directly with increased productivity, so the larger countries of the region have decided to invest in professional technical education.

Also, the continuing integration of Latin America, both internally and internationally, into the global economy is a big driver for governments to narrow the current technical gap.

Latin American countries realize they need to enrich their curricula with internationally recognized best practices, standards and qualifications, in both public and private education.

“I have never in my professional life seen this level of commitment to IT education in this region.”

Jaime Valles, vice president, Cisco Latin America

This is where Cisco and the Networking Academy can add value and be leveraged for country transformation purposes.

In general, our public sectors understand that the only way to provide better, more efficient and more cost-effective health, education and public safety services will be through the use of technology, and that is why they look to Cisco for advice.

Cisco’s partnership with the public sector is an example of what I like to call strategic social responsibility, which is neither pure philanthropy nor just corporate self-interest, but has elements of both.

So who exactly is pushing for these kinds of agreements?

Jaime Valles: There are four groups in total. Cisco itself is encouraging joint ventures at all levels of the organization. On the state side, the very highest levels of governmentsministers and suchlikeare also proponents of them.

At the grassroots level, you have two other distinct groups. Firstly, teachers are not simply standing on the sidelines of technological change, but are becoming directly involved.

Teachers are organizing and attending seminars and getting involved in training to increase their own IT skills. They have also been very proactive in learning how they can use technological innovations in the classroom to enhance their own teaching.

Finally, you have the young people themselves. These Generation Y students are demanding higher-tech solutions in the classroom, and are very familiar with information and communications technology.

Would you say that this investment is long term?

Jaime Valles: Absolutely. I can tell you that I have never in my professional life seen this level of commitment to IT skills education in this region, across the board. And I think it is here to stay.

In Brazil, for example, the government is investing in 1Mb broadband for 56,000 urban schools and 80,000 in the countryside. That capacity is planned to expand. It is supplying PCs to all these schools and funding teacher development. These are plans that run up to 2010.

And look at Argentina, another very important economy in the region, despite current economic difficulties. The Ministry of Labor has signed an agreement with Cisco and other companies to provide technical education for 1000 students.

Turning to a much smaller country, Costa Rica, we can also see a big commitment to IT investment. Cisco has a very strong relationship with the government there which has resulted in a Networking Academy presence in 30 technical schools. That is a lot for such a small country.

These Networking Academies are capable of producing 1,000 networking specialists every year. That sort of commitment is not a short-term blip either, as it takes up to two years to train a student.

In Mexico, there are agreements at city, state and national levels to integrate elements of the Networking Academy curriculum into both public and private schools.

In Chile, meanwhile, there is a huge program of 450 secondary schools adopting the curriculum. That will affect about 10,000 students.

What effect do you think the current economic situation will have on Latin American agreements with the Networking Academy?

Jaime Valles: I think it will have an impact. Governments are pouring money into programs to stimulate the economy and education is a critical area, so I believe that these initiatives could even benefit from the current economic situation.

As I say, great opportunities come out of hardship, and this downturn could end up being our greatest chance to leapfrog to a developed stage.

What other initiatives are planned for the future in the region?

Jaime Valles: Returning to Brazil, you have a 21st century school project which I am particularly excited about, as it involves looking at the whole concept of school teaching, from the building itself through to the classroom and its equipment.

We are also focusing on the curriculum and even the teachers themselves. We are asking: ‘what skills do teachers need, now and in the future?’ Training the ‘teacher 2.0′ is part of our goal.

Additionally in there is a focus on Mexico, one of our market adjacencies. In a recent to the visit to the country, our Chairman and CEO John Chambers signed a memorandum of understanding with the president covering educational models for Mexico’s public schools system.

Sharing our educational experience from all over the world will make a big difference in the long term for the country.

Computers-Plus