Month: September 2024

BT and Cisco have been in a strategic partnership since 1990, focusing on delivering a wide range of network, communications, and IT solutions to businesses both nationally and globally. Both companies are also passionate advocates for STEM promotion, with Cisco previously supporting the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE), one of the leading school STEM exhibitions in Europe which BT has organized and grown since 2001.

In January 2023, Cisco leadership attended the BT exhibition in Dublin, where the Cisco Networking Academy (NetAcad) was first mentioned as a potential benefit for the bright young contestants. Following a number of meetings related to the exhibition, BT invited Cisco Ireland to participate in a career event it organized with Ukrainian Action Ireland to help more Ukrainian women to secure employment in Ireland. The event, which covered a range of subjects from Cybersecurity to pursuing diverse career paths, provided a perfect opportunity to introduce the minority community in Ireland to the Cisco Networking Academy program.

With the support of TU Dublin, the leading Cisco Networking Academy Partner in Ireland, BT Ireland established a Cisco Academy to create a variety of free, online, self-paced courses in English and Ukrainian, spanning Cybersecurity, Networking, English for IT, Data Science, and Programming. TU Dublin and Cisco then set up a dedicated webpage for the students to learn more about each of the courses and enroll. The Academy has reached over 200 learners since establishing the Academy in October 2023 and hope to impact even more individuals in the future, particularly Ukrainian women who have benefited greatly from these educational opportunities.

Participant Nataliia Cherkaska, a Project Manager, said “Recently, I completed the ‘English for IT’ course offered by Cisco. The material was presented excellently, divided into multiple stages, allowing me to revisit any necessary section. I particularly appreciated the well-structured video content and assignments. I am confident that the knowledge I gained from this course will be instrumental in advancing and enhancing my career.”

Shay Walsh, Managing Director, BT Ireland added, “Our long-standing partnership with Cisco has further enabled us to make a significant impact on the communities we serve. By integrating the Cisco Networking Academy into our initiative, we are not only enhancing STEM education but also providing valuable opportunities for Ukrainian women to develop crucial digital skills. This collaboration exemplifies our commitment to fostering innovation and inclusivity in Ireland.”

Niamh Madigan, Partner Leader at Cisco Ireland added “It’s great to see a Cisco global initiative having such a great impact in Ireland. The Cisco and BT Ireland partnership continues to evolve, joining forces with them to have a positive impact on the community through the Cisco Networking Academy and Cisco’s Partnering for Purpose initiative is very rewarding, Collectively we can have an even greater impact through our CSR programs.”

Shane Heraty Managing Director Cisco Ireland “We are proud to have reached around 50,000 students through the Cisco Networking Academy in Ireland since inception through a curriculum spanning Networking, Cybersecurity, Programming, AI, and more. Partnerships like this are a fantastic means of augmenting our impact with underserved and underrepresented communities.”

Tom Nolan, Lecturer in the School Of Informatics and Cyber Security at TU Dublin said “ TU Dublin is delighted to be involved in this most worthwhile initiative, and is a great example of Academia and industry collaborating to provide a unique learning experience. We would hope to see some of the students partaking on these programs progress onto degree programs in the future.”

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The Baker Tilly Foundation is thrilled to announce this year’s recipients of the Stewardship Week Extra Impact Grant.

Launched in 2022, the foundation created the grant program to extend the spirit of Stewardship Week — when team members across the firm join together to make a difference in their communities.

Each of the ten organizations below was nominated by team members who volunteered with them during Stewardship Week. Each organization will receive a $5,000 grant.

Extra Impact Grant recipients

The locations below represent the office location of the team member who nominated the organization.

Andre House of Arizona, Inc. – Scottsdale/Casa Grande/Tempe, ArizonaAndre House of Hospitality meets basic critical needs of people experiencing homelessness while demonstrating love, kindness, respect and dignity.Babies & Beyond of WI, Inc. – Madison, WisconsinBabies & Beyond helps provides pregnancy and post-pregnancy material support for families and babies and children 0-4 years old.Birthday Wishes, Inc. – New EnglandBirthday Wishes makes a difference in the lives of homeless children and their families by bringing them the joy of a birthday party.Community Food Warehouse of Mercer County – New Castle/Meadville, PennsylvaniaAs a partner food bank of Feeding America, the largest hunger relief organization in the United States, their mission is to provide supplemental food to those who are hungry and to raise awareness of hunger throughout Mercer County.Hope Village Tiny Housing Alternatives, Inc. – Eau Claire, WisconsinHope Village builds tiny houses to shelter the homeless of the Chippewa Falls community. We provide mentors to help our guests set and work toward goals in three areas.Houston Food Bank – Houston, TexasThe Houston Food Bank is the largest source of food for hunger relief charities in 18 southeast Texas counties. Through a network of 600 food pantries, soup kitchens, senior centers and other agencies, 800,000 people are fed each year.Junior League of Charleston, WV – Charleston, West VirginiaThe Junior League of Charleston is an organization of women whose mission is to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training.Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles (OBKLA) – Los Angeles/Woodland Hills, CaliforniaOBKLA is a community-run, industrial, kosher kitchen where volunteers prepare meals for distribution across Los Angeles nourishing those in need of food and those in need of making a difference.Share Food Program – Philadelphia/Huntington Valley/Wilmington, PennsylvaniaThe Share Food Program leads the fight against food insecurity in the Philadelphia region, by serving an expansive, quality partner network of community-based organizations and school districts engaged in food distribution, education and advocacy.Storehouse for Teachers | The Education Partnership – Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaIn line with its mission to provide school supplies for students and teachers in low-income schools in Southwestern PA, The Education Partnership gives donated classroom supplies to 157 schools in 8 counties.

Learn more about Baker Tilly.