As AI reshapes job roles and automation redefines workflows, organizations are under pressure to continuously build, validate, and apply new skills at scale. Most talent pipelines simply can’t keep up: nearly half of IT leaders already report that a lack of AI skills is slowing progress.
At Learn with Cisco, it’s our goal to make IT skills accessible to everyone: from students and entry-level professionals to experts with years of experience. So it’s extremely gratifying to see that IDC MarketScape has positioned Cisco as a Leader in the 2025–2026 IDC MarketScape for IT Training Services in North America and a Leader in the 2025 IDC MarketScape for IT Training Services in Europe.
Thank you to everyone at Cisco and at our partners for making this recognition possible. As AI changes the way we work, we’re more committed than ever to providing access to in-demand skills to learners across the globe.
Learning as mission-critical infrastructure
“The arrival of AI and other emerging technologies adds a new dimension of complexity to an ecosystem already stressed by widening IT skills shortages,” according to IDC MarketScape for North America IT Training Services. The report continues: “IDC projects that by the end of next year, skills shortages could cost the global economy up to US$5.5 trillion in lost revenue, product delays, quality issues, and impaired competitiveness.” Workforce development is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s foundational infrastructure for competitiveness in an AI-driven economy.
At Cisco, we’ve always believed that technology alone doesn’t drive transformation—people do. That belief is reflected in our end-to-end learning ecosystem, designed to help individuals, teams, and enterprises build skills that matter today while preparing for what’s next.
Right now, that means preparing teams to work with AI. The World Economic Forum predicts that by 2030, 39 percent of workers’ core skills will change. That applies to everyone, not just people in ICT or even ICT-adjacent roles. And of course, the dominant driver of that shift in skills is AI and technological change.
A generational challenge
Our ability to meet this need for reskilling—both for individuals and for enterprises—will have implications for generations. At Learn with Cisco, we’re addressing the challenge head-on.
Cisco Networking Academy’s Introduction to Modern AI, now available in 12 languages, is already one of our most popular courses. The NetAcad team is also releasing an entire suite of learning called “Apply AI.” The first module shows how to use AI-driven thematic analysis to better understand customer feedback. The next module clearly teaches anyone to use AI to write and update a resume. Further courses and the entire Apply AI curriculum will be announced at Cisco Live Amsterdam.
We’re also seeing exciting traction with our AI Business Practitioner Learning Path, available on Cisco U. This Learning Path helps professionals at all levels, in all industries, build foundational AI skills and lead responsible adoption of AI through strategic use and a range of business applications.
ICT workers can expect even greater changes. In 2024, the first report from the AI-Enabled Workforce Consortium found that 90 percent of ICT-related roles will experience high or moderate levels of transformation from AI. The second report, issued just a year later, found that 78 percent of ICT-related job roles were already being transformed.
We’re transforming our certifications portfolio just as quickly. We’re updating existing coursework and certifications to incorporate new, in-demand skills, and we’re adding new learning and certifications to teach and validate AI-specific skills. These include:
- The Cisco AI Infrastructure Specialist, which lies within the CCNP Data Center certification track. It enables learners to build and validate skills in deploying, migrating, and operating AI solutions on Cisco data center infrastructure, as well as in monitoring and troubleshooting.
- The AI Technical Practitioner certification focuses on artificial intelligence and machine learning workloads, helping technical professionals become AI-ready and successfully embed AI into their workflows.
- The CCDE-AI Infrastructure specialization allows expert networking professionals to validate their ability to design, provision, and optimize networks and compute power for today’s AI workloads. It encompasses knowledge of AI and machine learning, as well as considerations relating to networks, security, hardware, and the environment.
We’ll continue to make these skills available through our connected, multiplatform ecosystem:
- Cisco Networking Academy
- Cisco U.
- Cisco Learning Network
- A globally recognized certification program
Together, these platforms support approximately 7 million learners each year and more than 28 million learners worldwide since inception, spanning foundational digital literacy through expert-level mastery.
Personalized, AI-driven learning at global scale
As AI transforms how work gets done, it’s also redefining how people learn.
Through Cisco U., learners can identify skill gaps, receive tailored content, and track progress over time—shifting learning from reactive training to proactive skills development.
From GenAI-powered assessments and adaptive practice exams to dynamic content updates, Cisco is embedding intelligence directly into the learning experience—while continuing to pair technology with expert instruction, mentorship, and community support.
Learning by doing: Hands-on experience that mirrors reality
Cisco’s ecosystem is built around real-world applications, preparing learners with job-ready skills. We’re emphasizing project-based learning—such as that found in our Data Science Essentials with Python course, which was recently highlighted in a white paper released at the World Economic Forum.
Across our portfolio, learners engage with virtual labs, hardware-based remote labs, realistic simulations, Capture the Flag challenges, and project-based experiences that mirror enterprise environments. They can build, secure, automate, and troubleshoot networks using the same tools and scenarios they’ll encounter on the job.
This experiential approach extends to global and regional events such as Cisco Live, hackathons, and expert-moderated study groups — helping learners build not just skills, but confidence, credibility, and community.
Leading the future of IT learning
In an era where the ability to continuously learn is the ultimate competitive advantage, we believe IDC MarketScape’s recognition reinforces what we see every day: skills are the foundation of innovation, resilience, and economic growth.
At Cisco, we remain committed to empowering learners, partners, and customers across North America, Europe, and beyond with the knowledge and hands-on experience they need to lead in an AI-powered world—today and into the future.
Because when people thrive, technology transforms.
The IDC MarketScape for IT Training Services analyzes IT training firms with portfolios that are appropriate to organizations considering significant digital and AI transformation initiatives.
The inclusion criteria include:
- A breadth of offerings
- Size and breadth of offerings that can substantially contribute to transformation
- initiatives
- Significant technology expertise that is important to transformation initiatives
IDC MarketScape: European IT Training Services 2025 Vendor Assessment, #EUR153005625, December 2025
IDC MarketScape: North America IT Training Services 2025-2026 Vendor Assessment, #US52991625, December 2025
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