Government urges more schools to enrol in Cyber Explorers programme
The initiative has reached a total of 50,000 students aged 11 to 14 within 18 months of its launch
The government is actively encouraging additional schools to enrol their students in the Cyber Explorers programme, which has engaged 50,000 students from 2,000 schools during its initial 18-month period.
Introduced in 2022, Cyber Explorers is a free learning platform tailored for students aged 11 to 14. The platform is aimed at familiarising them with essential cybersecurity principles, in line with the educational goals of Key Stage 2 and 3.
The initiative was introduced to complement the ongoing CyberFirst programme of activities, overseen by the National Cyber Security Centre.
Throughout the programme, students engage with a variety of cyber scenarios, allowing them to earn virtual badges and acquire insights and advice from experts in the field.
A range of interactive quizzes and activities are provided to aid students in understanding how cybersecurity and other IT skills can enable safe navigation of the digital realm and unlock potential career opportunities.
Moreover, schools participating in the programme have been able to organise career-oriented sessions for students.
Distinguished guests from corporate partners have demonstrated real-world applications of cyber skills during these sessions.
Educators have the option to enrol their students for free on the Cyber Explorers website, granting access to complimentary lesson plans, materials and guides.
The initiative is also available to parents and guardians of children who are educated at home.
Cyber Minister Viscount Camrose expressed the government's intention to expand student engagement with the programme, which he said is part of an effort to cultivate a talent pool that can help address persistent skill shortages in the field.
"The UK's growing cyber sector is where the technological innovations and digital discoveries of the future will start," Camrose added.
"That's why we're focused on breaking down the barriers to entry, and creating new opportunities for young people to gain the skills and knowledge that could kick-start exciting careers in cyber."
An assessment of cybersecurity skills within the UK labour market, released last year, revealed that approximately half of all businesses faced a fundamental deficiency in cyber skills.
Despite a 30% surge in cybersecurity job listings, totalling 160,000, the UK's cyber workforce confronts a deficit of roughly 11,200 professionals.
Within the sector, women constitute just 17% of the workforce, and higher-ranking positions generally do not reflect the diversity in terms of gender or ethnicity that is representative of the broader society.
"The cybersecurity skills gap has been a persistent trend for some time, but it doesn't need to be one that defines the industry for the coming years," said Michael Smith, CTO at security vendor Vercara.
"The only way to fix this is to embrace change, not just persist with the same approaches we have in the past. We must rethink the cybersecurity talent pipeline and adopt more robust strategies for future skills development. The government and industry must continue to work together to deliver a long-term plan that addresses the UK's talent gap from all sides. It will need to be a collective effort; everyone has a part to play.
"In the meantime, schools should continue to make use of these government-led programmes so they can nurture a more sustainable talent pipeline from within and encourage young people to pursue a career in cyber."