In the face of serious cyber attacks: Unemployed academics to help companies with cybersecurity

This post is also available in: Danish

Danish companies often have to look in vain for employees trained in cybersecurity. This makes businesses particularly vulnerable in a time of increasing hacker attacks.

Jobcenter Aarhus and Aarhus Municipality have joined forces with Security Tech Space, Aarhus University, Happy 42 in a new project to train 100 academics to become equipped in cyber and information security. The project is supported by the Danish Industry Foundation.

The need is now

The need for more employees with cyberskills is confirmed by figures from the Danish Business Authority, which show that only 35 percent of Danish SMEs had a sufficient level of security in relation to their risk profile last year.

It is therefore obvious to get some of the skills from unemployed academics who have been through a tailor-made course in cyber security, explains Line Gerstrand, Head of Development at security tech space;

“The unemployment rate among IT specialists is very low in Denmark, and combined with the fact that companies in Aarhus, like the rest of the country, have a strong need for cybersecurity specialists, it is obvious to break new ground by recruiting among unemployed academics. We believe that this program can help make a difference, especially for small and medium-sized companies,” she explains.

Seeking SMEs who wants help with their cyber efforts

The goal is for students to build skills over the course of two months, so that they can create a cyber awareness to take with them into a cybersecurity position. The course starts in April and is taught by companies such as Deloitte, Norlys, ITM8, Conscia, FDCA – Finnish Data Center Association, D-mark and more. The common denominator is that everyone has their finger on the pulse of cyber security.

That’s why we need companies that are willing to take on a student for a two-week internship,” explains Line Gerstrand:

“At the end of the 6-week course, one of our course participants will have the opportunity to visit you at the end of the course, where they are ready to start a two-week internship. Here they will be able to give their suggestions on how to approach a cyber awareness program, give good advice on EU cybersecurity rules and give advice on effective emergency communication. All in all, it’s a good starting point for further work with cyber and information security in a company.”

Initiatives like these addresses the need for action against the growing cyber threat. Not only does it create new job opportunities for unemployed graduates, but it also strengthens companies’ ability to withstand cyber attacks in an increasingly digital world.

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Is it interesting for your business?

If you as a company think this sounds interesting and would like to have a student with updated cyber security skills in an internship for two weeks, read more here: https://growth4sme.eu/skill-demand/cyber-security

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