Cisco Learning Promotes AI Readiness with AI Learning Journey and New Certifications

AI is everywhere – and not just in conversation and on the news. It’s in software, in workflows, and across network and security operations. It’s a transformational moment for job roles and job tasks, whether you are using AI or building AI infrastructure.

Cisco’s recent AI Readiness Index, released in November 2024, showed that just one in seven organizations are fully prepared to deploy new AI technologies. A lack of skills is a key reason for this low level of readiness: Only 31% of organizations said their workforce is at a high state of readiness to leverage AI.

At Cisco, we believe an AI-powered workforce is critical because AI has tremendous potential – but can deepen the digital divide if we don’t act intentionally, making sure that no populations get left behind. We’re moving full speed ahead to help IT professionals prepare and upskill for this latest technology transformation and the use of AI with our purpose at the forefront: to power an inclusive future for all.

We have a number of programs to help
IT professionals and organizations upskill on AI. 

We have a number of programs to help IT professionals and organizations upskill on AI. At Cisco LIVE Amsterdam this week, we’re announcing several new courses and updates to our current learning pathways to broaden our offerings. Those range from AI basics for those who are new to tech careers or just learning to incorporate AI into their roles to advanced networking design classes for the professionals that design, build, and run the networks that support AI workloads.

We’re enabling skills-based AI readiness in three ways: First, if you’re looking to better understand exactly what AI is, and why it’s important, our Introduction to Modern AI is available to everyone at NetAcad.com. Second, for those looking to build AI skills for professional roles, we’ve created a new learning path available on Cisco U that will help engineers and architects learn all the skills necessary to implement AI Solutions on Cisco Infrastructure. Third, we’re updating our existing learning materials in our Data Center and Security certification tracks to incorporate the AI-related information that IT professionals need at different levels of expertise.

About AI Solutions on Cisco Infrastructure Learning Path

Our new AI Infrastructure learning path covers the entire AI learning continuum, from entry level to expert. By following this learning path, built with a focus on multi-vendor deployments, professionals will gain the AI infrastructure skills needed to move their organizations and their careers forward.

We’ve chosen the first part of this learning path, called Essentials, as our current Rev Up to Recert, running from February 7 to March 24. Our advanced material will be available before Cisco Live U.S. in June 2025.

Essentials is everything you need to get started in building AI infrastructure. It begins with three courses on AI basics and a series on AI infrastructure requirements. It then covers AI network architectures, AI data considerations (including privacy and sovereignty), compliance (sustainability and power management), and hardware resources.

This material is primarily intended for DC network engineers, DC system engineers, IT infrastructure architects, and IT operations engineers — anyone working on a multi-vendor approach to building AI infrastructure.

Integrating AI across our certifications

In addition to the new learning path devoted to AI, we’re refreshing our existing certifications to make sure they also include the AI-related material most relevant to IT professionals. You may already be aware of the changes to our cyber security training, which now includes AI-related exam topics. At the associate level, candidates will learn how to use predictive AI to secure networks. At the professional level, they’ll learn how to use AI-powered and AI-driven analysis.

We’re also doing more to recognize those who have gained expertise.

Here are some highlights:

• CCDE AI Infrastructure Elective testing

At Cisco Live U.S. in June, we announced a new elective within the CCDE certification: AI infrastructure. The first day to test for that new elective is February 9^th, at Cisco Live Amsterdam.

This elective is a significant addition to Cisco’s certification offerings, covering essential topics such as designing scalable AI solutions, leveraging AI for network automation, and ensuring secure and efficient data handling in AI-driven environments.

• New CCDE Specialist Badges

Starting February 9^th, CCDE’s will be eligible to earn new badges. These badges will reflect the elective that a CCDE certified expert selected during their examination. Badges will be available for Large Scale Networks; On-Prem and Cloud Services; Workforce Mobility; and the new AI Infrastructure elective.

• Data Center certifications now include AI

Our DCID concentration now includes an AI and AI Infrastructure domain to validate skills in designing modern Data Center AI Infrastructure. Accordingly, we’ll be renaming the DC Design certification. With the addition of this new AI-related material, the certification will now be called Designing Cisco Data Center Infrastructure for Traditional and AI Workloads.

• AI for Network Engineers badge becomes externally available

Those who complete our most popular AI tutorial, Understanding AI and LLMs as a Network Engineer, will now be directed to an assessment upon completion of the tutorial. After passing the assessment, they can claim a Credly badge. The badge will validate their skills in understanding the theory, background and use cases for AI and LLMs as a network engineer.

• Integration of AI-related skills throughout certifications, learning and training

In addition to adding AI Infrastructure skills to our DC certification track (from CCNP to CCIE), we’ve also been adding relevant AI and AI/ML skills to our existing certifications. In August of 2024, the updated CCNA certification and training was amended to include skills related to generative and predictive AI. Our Cisco cybersecurity certifications (formerly CyberOps) have also been updated to reflect the use of AI to augment incident response and threat defense. We’veembedded AI/ML skills and operations into our multicloud specialist certifications, specifically our Cloud Connectivity (ENCC), Secure Cloud Access (SCAZT), and Network Assurance (ENNA) certifications and training – with ENNA incorporating AI/ML advancements embedded in Cisco ThousandEyes.

Beginning the learning journey

For those just considering a career in IT, Cisco provides a suite of resources to help them become well-versed in AI at earlier stages in their learning journey.

On NetAcad.com, those who are at earlier stages of their careers will find introductory materials, including courses such as The Road to Intelligent Machines and Introduction to Modern AI.

Cisco U hosts a wide variety of learning materials and classes. These include Understanding AI and LLMs as a Network Engineer, currently our most popular tutorial, as well as Hands-On ChatGPT: Exploring the ChatGPT APIand Hands-On AI: Building Infrastructure as Code.

More experienced network engineers and IT professionals will find our AI learning path on Cisco U, including the Basics, Essentials, and Advanced coursework for Building AI Solutions on Cisco Infrastructure.

As ever, we are committed to continuing to update our learning materials and our certifications to respond to new technologies and new demands on IT professionals –and Cisco’s new AI learning journeys allow everyone to build AI skills. The continual growth of our AI programming for learners is a reflection of market demand, talent transitions, and Cisco’s capacity to help create career and economic opportunities across the globe.

For more information on Cisco’s newest
AI Skills Journey learning and certification program,
visit u.cisco.com

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