No Enablement can be successful without a focused training building the foundational understanding of the subject, while Enablement on that topic helps you understand how to use the training to make you successful at work.

But first, let me pin down the difference between training and enablement.

Training would be something like, "Introduction to the TCP/IP stack." This would be a formal training or workshop that gives you a deep dive into the TCP/IP stack, protocols at each stack, etc. Such a training is relevant to everyone interested in the topic.

Enablement on the other hand is more like, "How to troubleshoot a network down situation using packet tracer." This is a tactical training focused on a specific agenda and outcome and may be relevant to a Field Engineer who troubleshoots networks on a day-to-day basis.

Training gives you a basic understanding of the subject, while enablement provides a more practical, hands-on learning environment.

Because enablement is such an important part of continuing education, we have created Cisco Black Belt Academy. Modeled around a simplified, role-based enablement framework, it is built to bridge the gap between foundational training and the training required to build your skills to do your job. While the training is important, the most important part of Cisco Black Belt Academy is that the content is curated considering the job you perform, and that you can test yourself in a sandbox before you apply it to your actual work. Beyond the sandbox environment, we have also built Capture the Flag missions to help test your knowledge in a gamified environment.

For Cisco Partners and Distributors, another key benefit to note of Cisco Black Belt Academy is that it is free of cost. The trainings and labs are also available on a simple to use, globally scalable platform, And most of the digital enablement content is also translated into localized languages. There are also several incentives for Partners and Distributors, including Shogun Rewards, Exam Vouchers, and more.

Explore the enablement catalog and be a part of the elite Black Belt community today!

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