McAfee has announced a partnership with London South East Colleges in a bid to provide students with insights into working in the cybersecurity industry.
The initiative is part of efforts to encourage younger people to pursue a career cybersecurity and address the skills gap in the sector. Earlier this week, a report from the Learning & Work Institute found that the number of students enrolling in ICT at GCSE level fell by 40% from 2015 to 2020, which means the UK could be heading towards a “catastrophic” digital skills shortage.
In the partnership, McAfee will run a variety of panel events, workshops and placements to demonstrate the kinds of roles available and the skills required to be successful in the industry. This will include the creation of a platform profiling individual McAfee employees.
Forming part of the London South East Colleges’ Career Advantage program, the collaboration is designed to inspire students to pursue a career in cybersecurity. The first event will take place next week on March 30 2021, consisting of a virtual session encouraging students to consider their employment aspirations. McAfee representatives will then take part in a Q&A, offering tips and advice for a successful career in cyber.
Andrew Cox, who is heading up the partnership for London South East Colleges, commented: “We know that students need more than just qualifications if they are to secure the best employment opportunities. They need direct access to employers and genuine insight into new and expanding industries.
“Our partnership with McAfee will enable our students to find out more about the opportunities that this global company offers. Students will also discover the many different career pathways that exist within the business, which they are unlikely to have considered before.”
Adam Philpott, EMEA president at McAfee, said: “London South East Colleges has a powerful role to play in illuminating the many career possibilities available to its diverse, student population. We are delighted to be working with them in our outreach to engage with communities that can both benefit from careers in the technology and cybersecurity sector. In doing so, we are supporting society more broadly as it becomes increasingly connected digitally in doing so safely and securely.
“As a leader in the cybersecurity industry, McAfee is seeking to address the talent and diversity shortfall in our market as part of our pledge. Our objective is to highlight the fulfilling career opportunities that exist in our domain and inspire students to seek these out as they move from education into the workplace.”
Experts believe that more collaboration between industry and academia is a key step in addressing the skills shortage in cyber, by ensuring courses are preparing students for jobs in the industry.