Fujitsu has unveiled the University Technical College (UTC) Cyber Security Group, encouraging young people to take up careers in a field that's facing a significant skills shortage.
The scheme is targeted at 14-19-year olds and aims to address the growing cyber security skills gap experienced in the UK at the moment. It will also educate students about cyber security and will equip them with knowledge of cyber security risks and what they can do to mitigate them.
The UTC Cyber Security Group will work alongside UTC's across the country to attract an annual student intake of 500, with the hope that those partaking in the training will become more employable as a result and have easier access to higher education courses if they wish to pursue a career in technology.
"In a world of connected devices, and increasingly AI and machine learning, the security landscape is seeing exponential growth with attack techniques and sectors changing at an alarming rate," Rob Norris, vice president of Enterprise and Cyber Security at Fujitsu said. "In light of recent attacks, it is especially important that we do more to help the next generation of students better understand the positive impact that cybersecurity knowledge can have on their lives and future careers.
"As we fast progress towards a digital first' nation, we need to ensure we are investing at the very beginning of the digital journey and developing the right skills to support the future digital economy."
Fujitsu has recruited 23 companies for the launch of the training programme, which will work alongside Fujitsu and the UTCs. They will work closely with the students and may offer the most promising recruits jobs at their organisation or sponsorship for further education. As part of the commitment, the group will meet every quarter to agree on course content, to ensure that what's being taught is in line with emerging threats.
"The UTC Cyber Group looks to connect industry to an untapped source of thinking in order to meet the current cybersecurity challenges," Mike Halliday, business relations manager for UTC Reading, UTC Swindon, and UTC Heathrow said.
"There will be a particular focus on supporting students who could provide real value to an organisation due to their natural technical skill and ability. UTCs have the advantage of focusing on technical skills development, and are a real alternative for those that wish to learn hands-on, which makes a cyber UTC the ideal environment to nurture and accelerate cyber talent with the support of our industry partners."
