Pathways into cyber security – how to plan, upskill and maximise career opportunities

What roles are available in the cyber security industry? What qualities do employers look for? 

Currently, there is a shortage of skilled cyber security workers around the world. In Australia, the pipeline needs to continue to expand to meet the sector’s – and the economy’s – growth needs. The workforce is estimated to increase to 33,500 by 2024, with around 7,000 workers requiring training over the next four years.

In episode ten of ‘OzCyber Unlocked’, AustCyber’s CEO Michelle Price speaks to Paul Nevin (Co-founder and CTO of Cybermerc), Timothy McKay (Founder and CEO of OK RDY), Matthew Jorgensen (Project Manager at the ACS) and Will Markow (Managing Director at Burning Glass Technologies) about their career journeys, pathways into the sector and how to take advantage of opportunities such as mentoring and certification. 

This month, our ‘cyber spotlight’ features Susie Barber and Rebecca Vivian from the University of Adelaide. The university was awarded a project to the value of approximately $300,000 as part of AustCyber’s Projects Fund to develop the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) to provide cyber focused resources and challenges to support and encourage Australian schoolteachers in national cyber security education efforts.

For more information about the organisations featured, visit:

• Cybermerc: www.cybermerc.com 
• OK RDY: www.okrdy.com 
• Australian Computer Society: www.acs.org.au 
• Burning Glass Technologies: www.burning-glass.com
• CyberSeek: www.cyberseek.com.au 
• University of Adelaide MOOC: https://csermoocs.adelaide.edu.au/news/list/2020/06/25/new-moocs-on-teaching-cyber-security-awareness

Useful links:

• OKRDY Cyber Edition Mini Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8NyXb7MOxw 
• Australian Computer Society’s ICT Gateway program: https://qldictgisp.acs.org.au/home.html