A pilot program aimed at training women and non-binary persons for careers in cybersecurity will soon start recruiting its third group of students.
The program, offered to students in computer science and related courses in seven Canadian post-secondary institutions, should start looking for candidates next month for the fall academic year, said Vivian Lee, team lead for work integrated learning e-learning delivery at the Information and Community Technology Council (ICTC).
“It’s designed in collaboration with universities and colleges to re-balance the gender issue within the cybersecurity sector,” she said. “It provides a stronger pipeline of employees for the digital sector, specifically within the SOC (security operations centre) analyst cloud security sector.”
The eight-month academic program, called ‘Cybersecurity Training and Work Integrated Learning,’ includes a 16-week work placement or experiential learning opportunity with the goal of making students job-ready on graduation.
The program is funded by Microsoft Canada and the federal government, with input from a group of Canadian post-secondary institutions, and implemented by ICTC.
“There is a large need for new staff in this sector,” Lee said, “so we collaborated with our community sectors and put together this plan that allows us to be part of that solution.”
The program offers hard and soft skills training, including mentorship from technology subject matter experts and advice on networking and how to apply for jobs.
Students are given access to three Microsoft certifications in cloud security infrastructure.
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