The Digital Skills Organisation (DSO) and the Canberra Cyber Hub have announced their cyber security work-integrated learning pilot. This pilot was developed in collaboration with employers to be able to better place aptitude-assessed interns in training while they gained workplace skills.
Despite being ranked the fifth most powerful cyber nation, Australia severely lacks the skills required to meet the growing demand, with AustCyber predicting that Australia will need around 16,600 additional cyber security workers by 2026. The cyber skills gap highlights the difference between the high number of roles in cybersecurity and the low number of people with the right skills for these jobs.
CEO of the DSO, Patrick Kidd, says industry-led training is the way of the future and is long overdue. “This purposefully designed industry-led training allows employers to set the tone to ensure learners are acquiring job-ready skills and experiences. It also enables learners to engage directly with industry and develop the skills they need for a long and prosperous career.” Kidd said.
The pilot starts with an intensive, four-week Power Skills Bootcamp that includes Comptia Security+ a recognised industry certification.
Candidates gain the basic knowledge and skills they need to do their jobs as cyber analysts at the bootcamp and in the weekly training sessions.
Each intern will complete four microcredentials that can be stacked for future learning.
The pilot will be led initially by the Digital Skills Organisation and the Canberra Cyber Hub in conjunction with a range of Registered Training Providers (RTOs).
The interns will be strategically matched with cyber employers, allowing interns to earn while they learn and employers to quickly recruit talent to meet their cyber skills workforce needs.
The Chair of the Canberra Cyber Hub, Dr Michael Frater, says that the pilot has been co-designed with cyber security employers to develop a pipeline of work-ready employees to cyber employers, fast. “I am delighted that the Canberra Cyber Hub is a part of this pilot to bridge the gap between post-school education and the skills that cyber professionals need to bring to the workplace.” Frater said.
Local employer, Sophie Wade, CEO & Founder, Modern Methodologies said, “Employers have been involved in the development of this pilot right from the very start. I believe the level of consultation has resulted in a pilot that is the right fit for everyone. It is a great initiative and sure to help with the cyber skills gap here in the ACT.”
Patrick Kidd hopes that this pilot will inspire Australians to become enthusiastic about the cyber security space while showing the power of collaboration between employers, government and training providers.
“We are proud to collaborate with the ACT Government through Canberra Cyber Hub and a range of training providers to facilitate and deliver this course based on our skill standards. Registered Training Providers have an extremely important role to play in providing flexible skills-based training. By collaborating with such a diverse range of stakeholders, we can bridge the training gap to better align it to the employer’s needs,” Kidd said.
The Canberra-based pilot will commence in March, and last for nine months. Expressions of interest for organisations and interns are now open, go to https://canberracyberhub.com.au/work-integrated-learning-pilot.
