This week, more than 2,500 leaders from business, government, academia, and civil society will convene at the 2016 World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. As one of those attendees, Cisco will collaborate with other global problem solvers in strategic discussions about the political, economic, social, and technological transformations reshaping the world.

This year marks Cisco's 14th as a WEF Strategic Partner, putting us in a group of 100 companies committed to changing the world. Our annual inclusion in WEF gives us the opportunity to build and strengthen the relationships that help us address some of the world's biggest challenges. One of the key challenges being discussed as this year's summit is "employment, skills and human capital," with a focus on how to create 470 million new jobs in the connected economy by 2030.

On Thursday, January 21, Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins will participate in a live streamed panel on A New Digital Platform for the Digital Economy at 3:00 pm CET (6:00 a.m. PST). He will join five other tech executives to discuss how the emergence of digital platforms can create a launch pad for innovation that benefits all. Specifically, they'll share the new entrepreneurial opportunities created by the Internet of Everything and its impact on employment and work.

Other highlightsessions include:

• Chuck Robbins will be a panelist on Wednesday, January 20th at 7:00 a.m. CET as part of theWhen Women Thrive: New Global Findings and Candid Talk from CEOssession
•  Chris Dedicoat, Cisco's Executive Vice President for Worldwide Sales, will lead a discussion on Wednesday, January 20th at 3:00 p.m. CET during theCircular Economy: The Road Ahead session
• Cisco's Executive Chairman, John Chambers, will take part inThe Economist -Digital Ecosystems -Growth of the App Economysession on Thursday, January 21 at 8:25 a.m. CET.

As a global employer with a presence in 170 countries, Cisco is among many companies seeking quality talent with skills to solve the global problems of the day. We understand that the world's most pressing problems, from climate change to poverty, require global institutions organizations, enterprises, and individuals to react in new ways. Fortunately, the emergence of the Internet of Everything is driving radical, incredible change that has forced us to rethink skills development, productions, design, manufacturing, and the use of data.

Cisco has long contributed to global talent growth through its Networking Academy program, which helps 1 million people in 170 countries each year develop skills in computer networking and IT. Like most of our other Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs, Networking Academy is built on strong public-private partnerships. Cisco develops the curriculum and software that provides assessments and virtualization exercises. Then we partner with schools, universities, governments, and other organizations to deliver the training to students, preparing them for future IT jobs in the digital economy.

Every company and organization will need workers who have the desire, knowledge, and skills to help people, communities, and our planet. By combining Cisco's leadership  in embracing digital transformation with Corporate Affairs' focus on educating the IT workforce, we are building a new generation of global problem solvers armed with the tools and knowledge they need to change the world.

Collaborating at the highest levels of government and business to improve the world is what the World Economic Forum is all about. We look forward to participating and reporting from Davos this week. Please follow Cisco CSR on Twitter and#WEF to join the conversation.