By Megan Ma

From left, John Snow, John Morgridge, Martha Kanter and Bernadine Chuck Fong speak with students of Foothill Community College’s Cisco Academy.

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury John Snow and Cisco Systems chairman of the board John Morgridge visited the Cisco Academy lab, a network technology training program at Foothill College, March 2.

The two leaders witnessed first-hand how Foothill is training Silicon Valley’s next generation of network programmers, and touted the importance of training workers in the latest technologies so they can remain competitive in a global economy.

Snow commended the efforts of Foothill students enrolled in the program and principal networking instructor Mike Murphy.

“In an economy as dynamic and ever-changing as ours, academies like this are offering timely, essential training that enables workers to move into new jobs, with new skills, at any point in their professional careers,” Snow said.

Cisco Systems works in partnership with the college by providing a curriculum, online learning tools and discounted equipment. The company’s industry experts train instructors in each field. Through lectures and labs, students can receive industry certification in 13 fields, including wireless networking and network administration.

“The business investment in community colleges is crucial. To stay on the cutting edge of technology, they must get an endorsement from local businesses,” said Morgridge, former CEO of Cisco.

From those wanting to change careers to information technology professionals brushing up on their skills, the training can change lives, Murphy said. “It’s an incredibly diverse student body. Watching these people work together and support each other is amazing.”

Ambitious high school students - driven by a passion for computers - can work side by side with industry experts.

Specialty certifications are often critical for students’ paychecks and resumes, Murphy said.

The intensive program offers 11 classes and requires commitment, Murphy said. Students often spend long hours in the lab completing homework or studying for an exam. While the program is not a crash course, it has replaced a traditional route for some for whom a degree program is no longer feasible or appropriate.

Mike Fouts, an IT professional for 14 years who lost his job in the dot-com bust, said ten months of unemployment prompted his participation in the program. “I thought my skill set was enough and didn’t have time to get certification,” he said. “I realized later I didn’t have the fundamentals. … Learning and training never stop.”

Fouts said he was elated to receive a job offer two weeks after graduation, and he is certain his certifications helped bolster his resume.

Although the program is funded in part by the college, Cisco, and a government grant, the lab is still underfunded, Murphy said. Local businesses are invited to become partners in the program.

To learn more about the certificate classes at Foothill, visit www.foothill.edu or call 949-7221. For more information on Cisco Academy, visit www.cisco.com/web/learning/netacad/.