THE FULL STORY
“May the road rise up to meet you…”
FIT is turning what is perhaps a trite Irish adage into a lucrative reality, creating sustainable pathways to opportunity for more Irish people. In this case, the “road” is apprenticeships, and the opportunity at-hand is the vast array of cybersecurity roles emerging in Dublin and beyond. A look across the landscape Today, six of the top 10 cybersecurity software companies are located in Ireland, and the country is fast becoming a world haven for cybersecurity due to its advantageous business climate and high degree of geopolitical stability. The cybersecurity landscape in Ireland today spans an interconnected web of government, academia, industry, research, and agencies, with major companies like Stripe, Veritas, Deloitte, Qualcomm, Dell, Hewlett Packard, pwc, Sophos, TitanHQ, TransUnion, and many others, represented. From the creation of new, localised cybersecurity hubs, to the proliferation of diverse business functions within existing organisations, there seems no end in sight to the cybersecurity boom in Ireland. Accelerating the appetite for cybersecurity roles is a seemingly endless rise in the occurrence of cybersecurity breaches globally (+300% in the past year alone.) The net of these factors is a nearly insatiable need for cybersecurity talent in order to fill open roles, and support the pace of growth. Although the basis for the country’s relatively recent tech mega hub status is increasingly clear, there had been --until recently-- little work undertaken to create a verified skills-building and educational pathway for people who hope to access the careers within the tech infrastructure. Much of the pre-work required to apply for and land a role in cybersecurity has happened, by necessity, within the vacuum of academia. While higher education can certainly prepare people for cybersecurity careers in theory, anyone working in the field will acknowledge the high degree of hands-on training, problem-solving, and analytical ability needed to effectively perform a cybersecurity role within an organisation. In the current climate, non-degree on-ramps into cybersecurity careers are an absolute necessity for getting more people into key jobs more quickly, more equitably, and more sustainably. To-date, nearly 500 people are either currently learning or are registered for an apprenticeship with FIT, with hundreds of new starts booked for the near future. Looking ahead with an eye to managing even greater sector growth in Ireland and keeping up with even greater demand for qualified cybersecurity talent, FIT is in the process of developing a degree apprenticeship in Development and Security Operations. While FIT’s achievements and plans are impressive, they are particularly significant for the greater Irish tech landscape; adding hundreds of talented new and prospective--highly certified and highly employable -- tech workers into the workforce where they can occupy high-value roles. The value these new workers will bring to the organisations where they find employment is immeasurable and represents a new opportunity for Ireland to showcase its own home-grown talent. Perhaps most importantly, FIT’s apprenticeship program is demonstrative of what is possible for the future of cybersecurity globally when organisations and education providers buy into the value of continuous learning and upskilling. With cybercrime on the rise everywhere, organisations (and frankly, nations) need the best possible shot at strengthening their tech presence by adding hundreds of talented, highly certified, and highly employable tech workers into the workforce with the most skilled and driven workers available. Apprenticeships offer an equitable and sustainable pathway to do just that... in Ireland and beyond. “May the wind be ever at your back….”: Looking ahead to a stronger cybersecurity landscape
“Ireland has become a significant base and hub for Cybersecurity companies. A culture of collaboration is emerging here that’s aided by a well-educated and flexible workforce, and that’s powered by industry leaders and educational providers like CompTIA. The Cybersecurity apprenticeship is an excellent example of that collaboration. Opportunities like this apprenticeship -- that provide high quality learning materials and real-life learning opportunities -- ensure more candidates are able to meet the skills needs of today’s Cybersecurity companies.”
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