Cisco will introduce two IoT and cloud-focused career certifications to its Learning@Cisco portfolio.

The company said the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certificates will focus on the ability to connect the unconnected, automate and orchestrate services, and provide the infrastructure to enable real-time data analytics in a pervasive manner.

The CCNA Industrial (IoT) is a lab-based training and certification offering part of the CCNA Industrial Education curriculum.

Cisco added that as more engineers will be needed every year, the project will be targeted at Plant Administrators, Control Engineers and IT/Network engineers working in manufacturing.

According to the World Bank Studies, between 2014 and 2020, 200,000 new engineers will be needed every year to answer the demand posed by IoE.

The CCNA Cloud and CCNP Cloud certifications will focus on training students to build private and hybrid cloud-based IaaS solutions.

Cisco said that CCNA Cloud will prepare individuals to deliver entry-level provisioning and support of Cisco Cloud and Intercloud solutions, while the CCNP Cloud certification is designed to give candidates the skills to explain cloud concepts, as well as design, deploy, and maintain Cisco Cloud and Intercloud solutions in complex environments.

Tejas Vashi, Director of Product Strategy & Marketing at Cisco said: "The technological changes we are seeing are unprecedented, both in terms of the opportunities they afford and the pace of change. Innovation is hampered when infrastructure lags, and new challenges arise as the world becomes more connected.

"The new certifications we are introducing enable IT personnel to handle current and future challenges with job role based training that drives business value for their employers."

Glenn Goldney, Global Business Manager for Training Services at Rockwell Automation said: "More than ever, our customers are experiencing the convergence of OT and IT on the plant floor, requiring the two organisations to work together to future-proof the development and maintenance of these new and complex network infrastructures.

"Cisco and Rockwell Automation are addressing this challenge with training and certifications to help OT and IT professionals gain the skillset needed to build, manage and operate converged network architectures throughout The Connected Enterprise."