• Cisco has expanded its Networking Academy to equip young people in the EU with digital skills. By 2030, the company aims to provide basic digital education to 1.5m individuals, focusing on digital literacy, cybersecurity, AI and data science. This initiative supports the European Commission’s 2030 Digital Decade targets. In addition to training learners, Cisco will prepare 5,000 instructors over the next five years to teach AI, cybersecurity, and networking skills. The company will also introduce an Industrial Networking curriculum to address digital transformation in industries like manufacturing and automotive.

• Glasgow recruitment business Clarkson Owens is launching its specialist recruitment arm Retainer Recruitment in response to increased demand from clients to support international and senior appointments. The firm specialises in recruiting for the construction and civil engineering sectors.

• Remote has introduced Recruit, a new hiring platform designed to simplify and accelerate global talent acquisition. Recruit gives companies access to the largest talent intelligence dataset, a global search engine for sourcing top candidates, and a one-click compliant hiring process. Remote has also partnered with Apriora to offer AI-powered video interviews at scale, providing recruiters with a pool of talent. Key features of Recruit include smart sourcing, allowing searches across 800m global candidate profiles with advanced filtering, and talent insights, which provide real-time data on salary trends and market conditions. Recruit integrates directly with Remote’s HR platform, enabling one-click hiring with automatic compliance management for local labour laws.

• Schneider Electric has announced plans to double its recruitment of veterans to help tackle the UK’s skills shortage. The digital transformation for energy management and automation business’s Veterans Talent Programme provides former military personnel with the industry knowledge and technical expertise needed for critical operational and senior management roles in the energy and electrical sectors. Applications are now open for early registration. The 12-18-month programme, which offers a full salary, combines specialist classroom-based learning with hands-on training, making it accessible to veterans from all backgrounds. Candidates are selected based on their motivation and interests rather than existing skillsets. Powered by Redeployable, an AI-driven career transition platform, the programme is designed to unlock the full potential of veteran talent.