Jeanne Beliveau-Dunn, vice president and general manager of Learning@Cisco, says that if you desire  that your children are not exposed to the travails of not getting a job after graduation and that career-wise they would be safe and secure, get them interested in technological data analytics, or in the architecture of cloud-based information technology systems or similar fields.

Beliveau-Dunn said that there was an oversupply of technology jobs available to young people and a minimum of one million people will be hired over the next six years in Cisco-related networking jobs.

Her office said that currently there are around two million people either working in information technology fields or garnering experience in training centers in preparation for high-end technology jobs.

Cisco, she said, is duty-bound to create a workforce for this surfeit of jobs, so that there will be an adequate supply of trained workers, not only for the domestic market but also for its many partners around the world.

Dunn says that there is a compelling need for young people to get trained for IT careers. However, she has cautioned that Cisco and its partners will be looking for skilled workers who are ready and prepared and familiar with their work from their first day of employment. There will not be any on-the-job training she warned.

To create such a workforce, Cisco has set in motion a number of online courses and classes at institutions that include San Jose State University and Wichita.

Prospective workers should acquire the most popular Cisco certification, called Cisco Certified Network Associate, or CCNA. The worker must sit for a test that has two parts; both cost $150 respectively, with the first one of 90 minutes duration and the latter lasting 75 minutes. If the student passes in the first-attempt a slew of jobs, that require the certification, open out to him.

However, there is an hindrance. These job openings, along with the CCNA certification require people with several years of experience behind them. How does a student, cross this, seemingly unreasonable hurdle?  Analysts say that there are entry-level jobs available, which don’t really pay too much but they do provide the necessary experience.

President Bob Knott SWC Technology Partners in Oak Brook, Ill. said there was “there’s a shortage of skilled workers across the board, not only at the entry level but at the experienced level.”

The challenge before both, workers and hiring managers is that workers need to be trained beforehand and hiring managers should provide prospective employees with the knowledge where they can get such knowledge, to create a pool of talented workers.

Penny Clancy, vice president of human resources at Sentinel Technologies, confessed that it is hard to find qualified workers. She suggests that students should try to work with a school that has a partnership with Cisco. Such students have a better chance of getting jobs with Cisco, she said.

The lucrative Information Technology job market is beckoning with welcoming arms. A close analysis of the situation reveals that student who enroll in Cisco-linked program in college are practically assured of a job with Cisco, secondly if a student sticks with the career, garners enough experience and works his way to the top, it can be highly lucrative.  Beliveau-Dunn says that those in the upper echelons of I.T. networking make a quarter of a million dollars.

For students internships are the ideal way to get acquainted with the skills that are most needed. Networking with alumni, that has made IT their career, is another way to build on their knowledge.

There is little doubt that information technology is a growing field that opens up huge career-prospects. With a little bit of patience, dedication and firm determination, students could set themselves on a career path, where the sky is the limit.