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Daily CSR

Daily CSR
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Bridging The Gap In Cybersecurity Workforce & Demand Through SC3



07/30/2018

Symantec to begin the pilot phase for its unique programme that includes a cybersecurity curriculum for the “underserved young adults”.


Dailycsr.com – 30 July 2018 – In an announcement, Symantec revealed about its “first-of-its-kind program”, named “the Symantec Cyber Career Connection”, in short SC3. The programme addresses the “global workforce gap in cybersecurity” besides opening up new opportunity for career option to “young adults” who “may not be college-bound”.
 
Secretary, Hillary Rodham Clinton along with the executive director of the programme at Symantec, Aled Miles made the announcement, while the same comes under “Commitment to Action”. The programme will kick start its pilot phase in the month of August in “New York City, Baltimore and San Francisco Bay Area”. The implementation of the same will involves a partners’ network which will involve “Year Up, NPower and LifeJourney”.
 
The partners will collaborate with “Symantec Foundation”, the charitable arm of Symantec, while in the future there are scopes for the programme to “expand internationally”. In the words of Secretary Clinton:
“This has been a priority for us because six years after the financial crash, many young people are still struggling. In fact, one of the most terrifying statistics is that nearly six million young Americans between the ages of 16 and 24 are out of school and out of work, and for those who don’t get a college education or even high school, most doors just won’t open no matter how hard they knock. We want to get to work and it's one of the highest priorities for CGI America and I’m delighted that there is so much interest because ultimately it’s about more than pay checks.”
 
Currently, the cybersecurity attacks are gaining in frequency while there are estimations that nearly “300,000 cybersecurity” job opportunities are waiting vacant in the U.S., while “60,000” of them could employ “individuals without a four-year college degree”. Following the unexpected data breaches experienced by the private sector, the demand for professionals in the cybersecurity space in only to gain popularity.
 
According to the “Internet Security Threat Report” of Symantec, there has been a 63% growth in cyber attacks from the year of 2013. While the CSR’s vice-president at Symantec, Cecily Joseph:
“Symantec is committed to making the world a safer and better place, and as a leader in cybersecurity we believe we can help solve the cyber career gap and move underserved young adults –including people of color, women and veterans – out of low-end jobs and into highly paid and meaningful careers. SC3 will also help us meet the critical needs of our customers and strengthen national security in challenging economic times.”
 
Furthermore, Symantec also informed that:
“The pilot program will include a cybersecurity curriculum developed by Symantec in partnership with the nonprofits, as well as a virtual mentorship program designed to promote and familiarize students with the industry.  Following their training, students will be placed in cybersecurity internships to learn how to be anything from a systems administrator to a network defense technician. Symantec will help program graduates seek jobs through its network of customers and partners”.
 
And the chief executive as well as the founder of Year Up, Gerald Chertavian said:
“We’re excited to partner on a program that so closely aligns with Year Up’s mission to enable low-income young adults to move from poverty to professional careers. We’ve known that cybersecurity is one of the main subjects that our students are interested in, and as an authority on cybersecurity, Symantec is an ideal partner. This program will open the door for so many young adults to the lucrative cybersecurity field.”
 
Moreover, the chief executive of NPower, Stephanie Cuskley was quoted saying:
“Our mission is to provide access and opportunity to underserved young adults through our proven tech and professional skills program. By expanding our existing partnership with Symantec, our New York City program will prepare these talented young adults to obtain industry-recognized CompTIA Network+, Security+ and Ethical Hacker certifications, and permanent employment to ultimately help fill the IT security field talent gap.”
 
 
References:
3blmedia.com