Symantec announced the launch of Symantec Cyber Career Connection (SC3)–a program aimed at addressing the global workforce gap in cybersecurity. There are currently an estimated 300,000 cybersecurity jobs left vacant in the US–60,000 of which could be filled by individuals without a four-year college degree. Symantec’s Internet Security Threat Report shows the amount of data breaches grew by 62% in 2013 and 552 Million identities were exposed world wide. With these staggering figures it is no wonder that the demand for cybersecurity professionals is so high.
A pilot of the program will start in August in New York City, Baltimore and San Francisco Bay Area. The program will be implemented through a network of partners including: Year Up, NPower and LifeJourney. Stephanie Cuskley, CEO of NPower said “Our New York City program will prepare these talented young adults to obtain industry-recognised CompTIA Network+, Security+ and Ethical Hacker certifications”
The pilot program will involve a cybersecurity curriculum developed by Symantec in partnership with the nonprofits, and a virtual mentorship program designed to immerse students into the industry. At the end of their training, students will be placed in cybersecurity internships for further learning.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
