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The successful training alliance Moraine Valley Community College has built with Cisco Systems has been selected as Moraine Valley’s 2009 Business/Industry Partnership of the Year. The partnership also was submitted as a nominee for the Illinois Community College Trustees Association Business/Industry Partnership Award.
Moraine Valley and Cisco Systems became unique and important business partners with the launch of the Cisco Networking Academy in 1997. The college also is home to the Cisco Area Training Center, which services 11 regional academies throughout Illinois. The Cisco Networking Academy offers comprehensive curriculum through an e-learning program that enables students to develop valuable knowledge of information and communication technologies and workplace skills. Students receive high-quality education supported by online content, online assessments, performance tracking, hands-on labs, and interactive learning tools. The Cisco Networking Academy also has donated millions of dollars in faculty development and equipment for use in classrooms at Moraine Valley and across the state.
“Moraine Valley Community College and Cisco Systems have enjoyed a long and productive partnership to encourage workforce development and help students succeed during and after their studies,” said Rosanna Bisges, senior manager North America at Cisco Networking Academy.
As a result of the partnership, Moraine Valley received a $5 million award from the National Science Foundation to establish the Center for System Security and Information Assurance. This center serves as a regional resource for academic institutions, the business community, and students interested in advancing the protection of Illinois’ information infrastructure. Representatives from Cisco Systems also have donated over $750,000 in state-of-the-art equipment to the college.
Moraine Valley students and the business community benefit from the partnership’s success. The area academy manager works with businesses to identify workforce needs, and Cisco Systems provides faculty training in areas of high demand. Faculty then use curriculum composed of 18 technical courses to teach a significant number of highly trained students 21st century skills. As a result, the labor and training costs of implementing and operating information systems has decreased resulting in faster adoption of new technologies. Businesses in Moraine Valley’s district, including health care providers, manufacturers, and financial institutions, are more productive and can better compete in a global market.
For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.
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Joseph Murphy, chairman of the Board of Trustees, presents the Moraine Valley Community College 2009 Business/Industry Partnership Award to Jane Long, assistant dean of Science, Business, and Computer Technology, who accepted the award on behalf of Cisco Systems and faculty members Dr. John Sands, professor of Information Technology, and Erich Spengler, professor of Computer Integrated Technologies.
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