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Women Rock IT – Cyber Security Scholarship

Accelerating access for women into digital and cyber careers: Short Course Scholarships available now with GCU and Cisco.

The digital skills gap in the UK costs the UK economy lost GDP potential of £63 billion per year. A large component of that gap is the missing contribution of women to software engineering and cyber security that Scottish and UK companies so badly need.

Gender and neurodiversity are critical factors of successful cyber security but the challenges of achieving this diversity persist.

Deloitte calls this a leaky talent pipeline where responsibilities for family, lack of female role models in digital and cyber and a minority presence of women in the workforce cause talent to drip out of the talent flow. Universities and technology leaders know that horizons have to be broadened to grow the talent pool for women in digital and cyber security building many paths to a greater diversity of employees.

GCU, Cisco and Scottish Women in Technology (SWIT) have established a partnership to inspire and encourage women to keep learning and grow career options in digital and cyber security. This critical skills initiative is funded by the Scottish Funding Council. As partners, we want to really mobilise more routes for women into a technically advanced, skilled, digital workforce and see diversity grow. We hope to reach women from a range of backgrounds and circumstances who seek to start a new career, increase their earning power, change career direction and make a difference in the Scottish tech sector.

What you will study

Candidates will have a unique opportunity to become an affiliate of CISCO’s WomenRockIT skills development programme and progress through the following short courses online with GCU from January 2022. Modules will be taught by GCU’s cyber security academic experts and materials accredited by both GCU and Cisco.

  • – Cyber Security Landscapes
  • – Introduction to Cyber Security (10 Credits SCQF 7)
  • – Cyber Security Essentials course (10 Credits SCQF 7)
  • – CyberOps Associate Programme (20 Credits SCQF7)
  • – Maths for Cyber Security (10 Credits SCQF 7)

As candidates demonstrate progress and success they will be matched into mentoring, internship and possibly apprenticeships with Cisco channel and commercial partners.

Throughout the learning journey, candidates will hear from role models and inspirational women in cyber security: hackers, social engineers, physical security testers, IT senior managers and security engineers.

Who is this course for?

We wish to encourage applications from women who are thinking about returning to work after a career break, are considering a career change, are at risk of unemployment and want a fresh opportunity, women who wish to enhance their career prospects by adding a digital and cyber security lens to their current field of work whether that is compliance, finance, psychology or even hospitality.

Now taking applications – apply here.

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