GCU looks to address cyber gender gap

Jackie Riley

Glasgow Caledonian University has launched a programme aimed at tackling the gender gap in the tech sector and the underrepresentation of women in jobs related to IT.

The University is running the Women do Cyber programme in partnership with the Cisco Networking Academy Programme (CNAP) and Scottish Women in Technology (SWIT), aimed at providing cyber skills to women in Scotland looking to launch, restart, or transform their careers. The programme can alternatively provide a route into further education.

Head of the Department of Cyber Security and Networking at GCU, Dr Jackie Riley, said: “The cyber skills gap in UK business has not changed significantly in four years according to the latest DCMS labour market report, meaning that, currently, universities are not producing enough cyber graduates to meet the demand from employers. In addition to this, the proportion of women in the cyber sector workforce currently stands at only 22%.

“This demonstrates the need for institutions to find innovative ways to address the skills gap and by GCU offering this cyber upskilling course, which not only delivers skills but collaborates with organisations and businesses, creates support networks, provides internship opportunities and enables students to undertake professional certifications, we are opening the opportunity to enter the cyber sector to a group of women who would otherwise not have considered cyber as a potential career.

“We are delighted to see this course come to fruition and to have 90 women engaging with it, taking that first step and working towards establishing a career in the cyber sector.“

The fully-funded Women Do Cyber short courses offer flexible, accredited, online study opportunities and access to female role models, mentoring and support.

Supported by the Scottish Funding Council and the National Transition Training Fund, GCU's Institute for University to Business Education led the recruitment process.

Fiona Stewart-Knight, Assistant Vice Principal Business Partnerships at GCU, said: “Tackling critical skills gaps and diversity challenges is at the heart of our intentions with this collaborative upskilling initiative.”