Empathy in Action: How Cisco Changes Lives with The Opportunity Platform

In 2024, the total number of recorded refugees from Ukraine reached 6.5 million. Those displaced by the war have since pursued a vital sense of normalcy and stability.

As a business leader in the region, I have deeply felt the war’s impact on our communities and searched for ways to help. Thankfully, I am privileged to work for a company that – driven by its long-standing commitment to “Power an Inclusive Future for All” – encourages employees to give back. A testament to that commitment was the efforts Cisco and the Cisco Foundation made in 2023 to aid Ukrainians by providing digital services and connectivity. Inspired by this, we began to think about our contribution.

Naturally, as the EMEA Emerging Talent & Apprenticeship Incubator Leader, nurturing talent is always at the top of my mind. So, we started working to create a program designed to welcome and support displaced individuals into Cisco, providing them with opportunities for a brighter future. With the support and sponsorship of our CX EMEA SVP, Adele Trombetta, Pastora Valero, SVP Government Affairs and thanks to the personal investment of many other Cisconians, we set up The Opportunity Platform (TOP).

The Birth of TOP: From Vision to Reality

In February 2023, TOP was launched with the vision to power an inclusive future for communities & individuals impacted by conflict. Even though we recognize the reality of the devastating – and growing – numbers of the displaced, we hoped that for those accepted into the apprenticeship program, it would make a difference in their lives.

We based TOP on our successful 14-year-old CX EMEA apprenticeship model with its top-of-class recruitment process by the EMEA Emerging Talent Recruitment team as a blueprint to bring TOP to life. This two-year program provides education, industry certifications, and training courses. Apprentices also participate in job rotations to better understand different parts of the business and work towards securing a permanent job.

To scale our efforts, we reached out to our partners and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Through these partnerships, we found ways to help others – beyond our TOP cohort – to build digital skills.  One such initiative was Start IT #Cisco4Ukraine, an educational program offered by the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów (Poland) in partnership with the Cisco Networking Academy. To date, 10 thousand displaced Ukrainians have benefited from the Start IT Instructor-led courses offered in their native Ukrainian language.

Additionally, we became a member of Tent Partnership for Refugees (Tent), a network of leading businesses committed to helping refugees enter the labor market to play a vital role in helping to rebuild their lives in new communities – while those communities benefit from their talent and experience.

The Heroes of Our Story: Ukrainian Women Apprentices Who Inspire

When we started TOP, we hired 10 Ukrainian women whose stories are nothing short of extraordinary. These remarkable individuals came from a variety of backgrounds: Finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, government affairs, project management, and more. Each brought a wealth of experience and a unique perspective to our team.

These apprentices hold several advanced degrees and speak many languages. Despite experiencing a devastating war, their resilience and determination have shone brightly. They’ve come to us with a fierce drive to succeed and a story of courage that fuels our mission every day. Their diverse backgrounds and skills are making waves, and their stories are a powerful reminder of human strength and potential.

Tangible Results, Real Impact

When we started the TOP initiative, we wanted to create a nurturing environment where the participants could develop their skills, advance their careers, and begin to rebuild a sense of stability.

In my experience, a program’s success relies on having a robust structure and an empathetic leader. The latter was an easy choice: Thais Bueno Rocha. Thais is a kind and effective leader, and I want to thank her for her contribution to the program.

Regarding the structure, we had a head start. Cisco has long encouraged a lifelong learning mindset and offers a wealth of growth opportunities; A great portfolio of training is available through the Cisco Net Academy and the CX Academy. We have Talent Incubation programs that foster growth through business exposure and offer job rotation opportunities tailored to the apprentices’ passions and skills. We also have mentorship and sponsorship initiatives in place.

Looking back, I am proud of the impact the TOP initiative had and the results these brilliant apprentices have delivered for our business. In numbers, the TOP program has achieved: 100% retention among our apprentices; 96% community impact; half of the project managers are now CAPM-certified, and one member is now CE CCNA-certified. At the same time, our 10 TOP apprentices have contributed to billable projects, sales pipelines, and customer success, and made their mark as integral team members.

Turning Compassion into Action: An Evacuation Vehicle for Ukraine

When these apprentices joined Cisco, we looked for a way to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. In partnership with the Leleka Foundation, we raised $14K for a medical evacuation vehicle. These are sorely needed, as each is estimated to save more than 200 lives every three months.

Moving Forward: Building a Global Movement

Our next goal is to lead a broader movement within our company to inspire other organizations to invest in and hire displaced people worldwide. We’re ready to share our best practices, tools, and policies with colleagues, other companies, and industries to support this cause.

A critical element of our ongoing success is the Global Sponsorship from our senior leaders. Under the leadership of Adele Trombetta, CX SVP EMEA, Pastora Valero SVP Government Affairs, and with the full support of executives across the company and in the People, Policy & Purpose office, we’re amplifying our message.

Their backing allows us to join industry events, share our best practices and results, and hopefully inspire more organizations to start similar initiatives

Our commitment to TOP reflects our core values and Cisco’s purpose to Power an Inclusive Future for All. To us, TOP is not just a program, it’s a promise. Our promise is to continue leveraging our resources to create opportunities for displaced people and drive positive change.

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