Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst at Ryerson University partners with Future Skills Centre on a training program to promote inclusivity in cybersecurity

BRAMPTON, ON, Oct. 13, 2021 /CNW/ - Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst at Ryerson University is proud to partner with the Future Skills Centre (FSC) to introduce the Cyber Talent Transformation Initiative.

The rapid increase in demand for cybersecurity has struggled in the face of an undersupply of talent sufficiently equipped with the required training and skills. Further, women and BIPOC continue to be severely underrepresented in the cybersecurity sector. To create a more inclusive and diverse cybersecurity industry, the Cyber Talent Transformation Initiative will build on the success of the Catalyst's Accelerated Cybersecurity Training Program (ACTP) to engage learners from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in cybersecurity.

"Cybersecurity impacts everyone from all walks of life, and we need a cybersecurity workforce that reflects that diversity of perspective and experience," says Charles Finlay, founding executive director of the Catalyst. "We can teach people cutting-edge cybersecurity skills they need to launch a career. After that, our graduates will combine those skills with their own knowledge, experience and point of view to create a cyber industry that works for everybody."

Funding from the Future Skills Centre will expand the reach of the ACTP – an intensive, seven-month cybersecurity training and certification program for promising learners from a wide range of backgrounds. Placing a specialized focus on recruitment of BIPOC participants, the initiative will also convene key employers to contribute to research focused on industry hiring needs around equity, diversity and inclusion, and will develop an action plan to scale and transform skills training and talent acquisition in the Canadian cybersecurity sector.  

"At the ACTP, we have consistently found that the skills our learners develop in seemingly unrelated industries become core to their proficiency in cyber," says Rushmi Hasham, director of development, Accelerated Cybersecurity Training Programs at the Catalyst. "Our graduates' employment success demonstrates how they consistently connect the totality of all their experiences to solving challenging cybersecurity threats. A food services professional knows about working on a team. A social worker knows about responding to a crisis. We've already seen that there are a multitude of lived experiences that the cyber industry should be leveraging, and now we want to ensure that we also make space for the perspectives and experiences of people from underrepresented backgrounds."

"The world has become more digital in every sphere and the demand for cybersecurity professionals has in turn grown exponentially," says Pedro Barata, executive director of the Future Skills Centre. "This cybersecurity training program is designed to address labour shortages and identify ways to recruit more diverse populations into the field. Examining the barriers that these groups face to enter the cybersecurity field and developing strategies to overcome obstacles will help to grow and diversify the talent pool. This is a great example of the projects FSC is investing in to identify new and better practices for the workforce of the future."

To learn more about our Alumni, visit https://www.cybersecurecatalyst.ca/actp-alumni-stories 
For more information on how to apply to the ACTP program visit  https://www.cybersecurecatalyst.ca/actp-overview 

About the Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst
Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst is Ryerson University's national centre for innovation and collaboration in cybersecurity. Headquartered in Brampton, Ontario, it delivers programs across Canada and collaborates closely with industry leaders, governments, public agencies, organizations in all sectors and other academic institutions to empower Canadians and Canadian businesses to seize the opportunities and tackle the challenges of cybersecurity. Through its groundbreaking training and certification programs; unique commercial accelerator for Canadian cybersecurity scale-ups; first-of-its-kind cyber range; wide-ranging public education programs; and influential policy development platform, the Catalyst drives Canada's global competitiveness in cybersecurity.

About Future Skills Centre - Centre des Compétences futures
The Future Skills Centre is a pan-Canadian initiative, connecting ideas and innovations generated across Canada so that employees and employers can succeed in the labour market, and to ensure that local, regional, and national economies thrive.

SOURCE Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst at Ryerson University

For media inquiries: Khilola Zakhidova, Senior Advisor, Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, Ryerson University (Renaming in Process), [email protected]