LONDON: More than 50,000 students from 2,000 schools around the United Kingdom have been signed up to Cyber Explorers, a free learning platform provided by the government, according to a statement from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
“The UK’s growing cyber sector is where the technological innovations and digital discoveries of the future will start. That’s why we’re focused on breaking down the barriers to entry, and creating new opportunities for young people to gain the skills and knowledge that could kick-start exciting careers in cyber,” the statement quoted Cyber Minister Viscount Camrose.
Cyber Explorers is a governmentbacked initiative to complement the existing CyberFirst programme of activities, which is led by the National Cyber Security Centre.
Teachers, or parents and guardians in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland can register for their students to gain access to the platform at www. cyberexplorers.co.uk, and get free lesson plans, resources, and guides for wider educational support.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) leads the CyberFirst programme which offers a range of activities for young people to learn about the exciting world of cyber security.
The NCSC is the UK’s lead technical authority on cyber security and offers unrivalled real-time threat analysis, defence against national cyber-attacks and tailored advice to victims when incidents do happen.
Incidentally, a report on cyber security skills in the UK labour market published last year found that around half of all businesses had a basic cyber skills gap.
The number of cyber security job postings rose by 30 per cent to 160,000, although the cyber workforce in the UK is facing a shortfall of around 11,200 people.
While women make up only 17 per cent of employees in the sector, senior roles are typically not representative of gender or ethnic diversity across wider society.
Against this backdrop, the UK is investing in the next generation of cyber professionals and security experts, helping young people to develop the skills and the knowledge prized by a UK cyber sector worth £10.5 billion.
