Filling the skills gaps with cybersecurity apprenticeships 

Have you got skills gaps for cyber professionals in your business? Learn how you can use apprentices to help fill them at Security & Counter Terror Expo at London Olympia May 3-4, 2017.


(Krill Makarov /123rf)

It is well known that UK businesses are struggling to fill cyber security professional vacancies – there is a significant and increasing mismatch in supply and demand. The number of vacancies for cyber security professionals has increased by nearly a third (32 per cent) between 2014 and 2016, yet the supply of skills is lagging behind.

This section of the event will enable you to understand how you can take advantage of the opportunities that recruiting apprentices can give you.

Why would you take apprentices?

• All businesses with an annual pay bill of over £3m will pay the new Apprenticeship Levy from April this year: this is an opportunity for you to use the levy money to train your future cyber stars (whether or not you are a levy-payer).
• You will be part of a growing movement: there are already many employers who are recruiting cyber apprentices across sectors including technology, finance, retail and critical national infrastructure: why would you want to miss out?
• There is a growing body of evidence that taking apprentices makes enormous business sense: they become productive quickly and are a cost-effective way of recruiting the next generation of cyber professionals: you too can benefit from this business opportunity.

You will hear from Paul Thorlby, CTO Security at QinetiQ and Mark Heholt, Head of Apprenticeships at the Tech Partnership who, together, have led the employer and university group which has developed the national standard enabling new programmes to be created by employers working with universities.

Come along and learn all about it at Security & Counter Terror Expo.

Crisis Response Journal will be at the CTX, visit us on stand J85 and meet the new team.