Cisco has announced the addition of a new entry-level certification,
CCENT (Cisco Certified
Entry Network Technician), along with enhancements to the
popular Cisco CCNA associate-level certification.
Simultaneously, Cisco also plans to localise both the curricula and
certification exams to meet the worldwide demand for networking skills. Analyst IDC is predicting as much as a 40% gap between
the demand and supply of technical networking skills by 2012. To address these
needs, Cisco is making significant investments in its education and
certification programs to equip more people for successful careers in networking.
CCENT presents a new point of entry to those just beginning to build a career
in networking. As an optional stepping-stone to CCNA, CCENT validates the skills
required to successfully install and verify basic networks – a requirement for
most entry-level network support positions. At the same time, Cisco's
foundational CCNA curriculum has been revised to include a greater breadth of
networking topics and more focus on performance-based skills to differentiate
Cisco certified applicants in the IT job market. The CCNA curriculum will be
released in English on 26 July 2007, and the exams will be released in English
on 1 August 2007. Additional languages will be announced as translation plans
are finalised.
Wim Elfrink, chief globalisation officer and senior vice-president of
customer advocacy at Cisco, said, "We are dedicated to leading worldwide development
of the right technical expertise, in the right place and at the right time.
“The introduction of CCENT and localisation plans for our foundational
curricula, underscore our commitment to accelerate the learning curve for
technical talent across the globe," he said.
Laying the groundwork for more rigorous certification, CCENT validates the
knowledge and skills needed to configure and verify small routed and switched
networks, including the ability to configure IP addressing, implement basic
security measures and understand the concepts of wireless networking.
A comprehensive understanding of networking fundamentals is the focus of CCNA,
said Cisco.
Certification at this level validates the knowledge and skills required to
install, operate and troubleshoot a small to medium-sized routed and switched
network, including the ability to implement and troubleshoot protocols to manage
addressing and authentication.
Students must also be able to establish and troubleshoot connections to
service providers over a wide-area network.
The CCNA Prep Center is
available to anyone with a Cisco.com login to help candidates prepare for the
CCENT and CCNA exams.
