In the last few months, Cybereco has multiplied its partnerships with a view to addressing the growing labour shortage in the cybersecurity field. Here is a brief overview of the organizations with which Cybereco is pleased to collaborate.
Raising awareness among young people and inspiring vocations in cybersecurity
Alongside young people facing personal, academic, or professional difficulties, CyberCap relies on the use of digital media to participate in their development. Since 2000, the non-profit organization has been supporting young people between the ages of 11 and 35 by setting up innovative and structuring projects. Today, Cybereco and CyberCap are combining their expertise to make these young people aware of the risks associated with their digital activities and possibly to encourage vocations in the field of cyber security. This partnership is fully in line with Cybereco’s mission, one of whose objectives is to increase the pool of cybersecurity resources.
Identifying transferable skills for cybersecurity jobs
Cybereco has also partnered with Global Shapers to help meet the need for cyber security workers. An organization born of the World Economic Forum; Global Shapers brings together young people under the age of 30 who want to set up projects that meet the needs of their local community. In Montreal, the Global Shapers team decided to address one of the major issues in the cybersecurity sector. The “Shapers” then took the challenge of identifying the knowledge acquired by university students and professionals from all walks of life that could be used in the field. A field much broader than the technological aspects. An innovative idea that allowed them to expand the professional opportunities of many people not coming from the world of technology and to encourage diversity and inclusion in the sector.
Training IT professionals in cybersecurity
And while it’s important to expand the pool of candidates for cybersecurity careers through initiatives aimed at young people, it’s equally important to train IT professionals in cybersecurity. Having already the foundation to understand the expectations of the field, IT professionals are prime candidates to support organizations in the security challenges they face. Therefore, Cybereco has chosen to partner with TECHNOcompétences, an organization whose mission is to support and promote the development of talent and employment in information and communication technologies (ICT) in conjunction with industry partners. This association has led to the creation of a training program that allows IT professionals to learn about cyber threats and how to implement a cyber security plan.
Attracting talent from abroad
Finally, Cybereco would like to highlight its long-standing partnership with Montréal International. This collaboration is well established in the Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity Innovation Zone and continues to attract international workers and students and thus contribute to alleviate the labor needs in cybersecurity. This sector offers multiple opportunities and international talent is a fast and efficient solution for local companies. Montreal International has developed a solid service offering in the attraction and retention of talent in this field. Cybereco intends to promote this expertise to meet the challenges of the cybersecurity sector.
For Cybereco, these initiatives are paramount, as there is still a lot of work to be done to meet the growing workforce needs of the sector. These needs are likely to increase in the coming years given the evolution of laws (i.e. Bill 64 on the protection of personal information) and regulations throughout the world).