N.B. Students Will Learn Cybersecurity Skills With Cisco, Cyber NB, Government Partnership
FREDERICTON – A partnership between Cisco Canada, Cyber NB, and the provincial government will give high school students the chance to learn and develop cybersecurity skills.
The partnership will provide education and training to upwards of 1,500 high school students over the next three years.
“Demand for cybersecurity talent is growing and our students need to be prepared to join technology-based workforces that are still evolving,” said New Brunswick Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, Dominic Cardy in a release. “With open access to cybersecurity courses provided by Cisco’s Networking Academy, our students will be ahead of the curve.”
The program’s funded by a three-year $1.75-million investment from Cisco Canada’s Country Digital Acceleration Program which aims to form partnerships with governments to provide digital skills for the workforce.
The course will be accessible through CyberNB to high school students beginning in September. Tyson Johnson, CEO of CyberNB said in a statement that the program will be implemented into the classroom.
“CyberNB will be rolling out the curriculum to English and French schools across the province, providing training and support for teachers to successfully implement the industry recognized program in the classroom and give their students real-world, high-demand skills training,” he said.
Cybersecurity skills and training are in high demand as the industry is growing seven per cent annually according to a report from Deloitte. A report from Cybersecurity Ventures says that in 2021 alone there will be a projected 3.5 million positions unfilled.
“Cisco is investing in this program to build a talent pipeline of skilled workers for the cybersecurity industry in New Brunswick and beyond,” said Shannon Leininger, President of Cisco Canada.
“In this post-pandemic, digital-first world, a skilled IT workforce is integral to Canada’s long-term economic prosperity and competitiveness. Through partnership models like these, we can scale cybersecurity skills training nationally and help Canadians pursue high-paying, high-skilled jobs.”
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