USAID for Youth Project is a new program under which more than 3,000 young students enrolled in higher education and technical institutions across nine districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) will be trained and provided with CISCO-Certifications.

Under Skills for Youth Project Cisco Networking Academy has been established in Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University and instructors and teachers selected to deliver the selected trainings to the students are trained. The program includes three types of trainings:

1. IT Essential
2. CCNA Routing and Switching
3. CCNA Security

1. IT Essential

IT Essential is a hands-on, lab-oriented course that prepares students for exciting career opportunities in the technology industry. By completing the course students have earned a Certificate of Completion for IT Essentials, and acquired competencies that include the following:

• Select the appropriate computer components to build, repair, or upgrade personal computers.
• Explain how to correctly use tools and safely work in a lab.
• Install components to build, repair, or upgrade personal computers.
• Explain how to perform preventive maintenance and troubleshooting on personal computers.
• Install Windows operation systems.
• Perform management and maintenance of Windows operating systems.
• Configure computers to communicate on a network.
• Configure devices to connect to the Internet and Cloud services.
• Explain how to use, configure, and manage laptops and mobile devices.
• Explain how to configure, secure and troubleshoot mobile, OS X, and Linux operating systems.
• Install and share a printer to meet requirements.
• Implement basic host, data, and network security.
• Explain the roles and responsibilities of the IT professional.
• Troubleshoot advanced hardware and software problems.

2. CCNA Routing and Switching

The CCNA Routing and Switching curriculum is a gateway to entry-level networking jobs and IT careers. The curriculum consists of 4, 70-hour courses: Introduction to Networks, Routing and Switching Essentials, Scaling Networks, and Connecting Networks. The course aims to:

• Develop a working knowledge of routing, switching, network applications, protocols, and services.
• Study with an instructor in the classroom and access expert content online anytime.
• Practice what you learn on both real equipment and Cisco Packet Tracer, a network configuration simulation tool.
• Get immediate feedback on your work through built-in quizzes and tests.
• Prepare for the workplace with collaborative projects and presentations.
• Connect with the global Cisco Networking Academy community.

Currently the first batch of 29 students is in progress with the instructor Mr. Amanatullah Khalil.

3. CCNA Security

Cisco Certified Network Associate Security (CCNA Security) validates associate-level knowledge and skills required to secure Cisco networks. With a CCNA Security certification, a network professional demonstrates the skills required to develop a security infrastructure, recognize threats and vulnerabilities to networks, and mitigate security threats. The CCNA Security curriculum emphasizes core security technologies, the installation, troubleshooting and monitoring of network devices to maintain integrity, confidentiality and availability of data and devices, and competency in the technologies that Cisco uses in its security structure.

The CCNA Security training will be delivered in the third phase after CCNA Routing and Switching.