This post was written by guest blogger Emma Reid, marketing manager for Cisco's Social Innovation Group, Asia-Pacific region 

Countries across the Asia Pacific region are facing a broad range of social challenges. Unemployment, widening gaps between rich and poor, urbanisation, insufficient access to quality healthcare and education, to name a few.

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) study, The Evolution of the Networking Skills Gap in Asia/Pacific, there will be a shortage of more than 400,000 networking professionals across the region by 2016. This will represent a segment of the 2 million unfilled information and communications technology jobs globally within ten years.

Indonesia is one of the fastest-growing economies in our region and its technology skills gap is expected to increase beyond 99,000+ full-time networking professionals. Cisco recognizes this problem and provides training through its Cisco Networking Academy program to prepare students with the skills needed to support industries in our increasingly connected world. Over the past 15 years, we have trained 125,000+ students in Indonesia through 177 partnerships with higher educational institutions, vocational schools, public sector agencies, and nonprofits.

At Cisco we believe we have a responsibility to help address social needs and issues. Through Cisco's Social Innovation Group in the Asia Pacific region, our programs and social investments focus on building human capital, workforce development and employment, and community enablement.

Through our focus on workforce development and employment, we are tackling the skills shortage and helping to create an innovative economy and boost productivity and job growth. The newly developed program "Find Yourself In the Future" is offered to students approaching graduation. Through a series of career and technology events, students are connected to industry experts and potential employers.

In Indonesia this week, we are hosting the inaugural Graduate Job Fair exclusively for Cisco Networking Academy students. The Graduate Job Fair will be held from Monday 26 to Wednesday 28 January. The event will connect 10 hiring Cisco Partners directly with our graduating students and alumni. A good mix of employers from across Indonesia will recruit for 28 open positions virtually, using Cisco WebEx collaboration technology.

More than 300 students are registered to attend. Recruiters, including Dimension Data, Packet Systems, Berlian Sistem Informasi, Berca Hardayaperkasa (BHp), Plant One, and Mastersystem Infotama will share information about job openings and the application process. Students will be able to ask questions via WebEx before submitting their resumes.

The Graduate Job Fair will kick off on Monday 26 January at 10 a.m. If you are a Networking Academy student living in or willing to locate to Indonesia, register for the Graduate Job Fair. You can also visit our Find Yourself In The Future website to learn more about other events happening around the region.

Our next Graduate Job Fair is likely to be held in New Zealand in June or July 2015. Subscribe to this blog and "like" Cisco Networking Academy on Facebook to get updates.

If you are an employer and would like to get involved in the Graduate Job Fairs in your country, contact us at [email protected]