As 2024 draws to a close, we can safely look back and say it’s been another hard year for cyber security. Cybercriminals have developed numerous clever new ways to attack businesses. On top of this, there is a huge global shortage of cyber security professionals—over 6 million globally.
Upon recognising this immediate danger, Scottish cyber security experts Jera IT decided to set up an IT academy to train the next generation of cyber security professionals.
In this interview, Ally Hollins-Kirk offers insight into the founding of the academy, what the programme the students go through looks like, and where the future of Scottish cyber security lies.
What Prompted Jera IT to Create the Jera IT Academy?
As a managed service provider, we eat, breathe and sleep cyber security. We’ve been doing it for over 20 years and have faced just about every major attack you could think of. With that, we’re always talking to potential prospects and our clients about their cyber security preparedness. 9 times out of 10, we came across the same two problems:
- People think they’re either too small or in an irrelevant industry to worry about cyber attacks
- We don’t have the money to pay for cyber security staff, and even if we did, there aren’t any available!
The first issue is one of the most common things we come up against, and we hate to burst the bubble, but everyone is at risk. Cybercriminals target small businesses just as happily as the larger ones, and unlike those big businesses, small and medium businesses probably don’t have the resources to protect themselves or survive an attack.
The next point is even more worrying. It’s not just cyber security; the IT sector as a whole has faced shortages. The talent pool is small, and therefore you have to pay a whole lot for the recruits that are out there, and it may be a case where you simply have to take what you get.
We’ve noticed it ourselves when trying to find people for our team. Recently we had to find a number of engineers and cyber security team members and unfortunately hit brick wall after brick wall.
From that experience, we figured out a way to solve both problems at once. The Jera IT Academy was that solution.
Who can take advantage of the academy?
Whilst we do have plans to expand the offerings, our first run this year has been exclusively offering a foundation apprenticeship. That means we take in students doing their highers in high school, replacing one of the higher qualifications they would do at that level.
As far as the students themselves, the main qualities we’re looking for are curiosity, people skills and a good attitude. Knowledge about software and computers isn’t vital; our intention is to teach that, so while some background knowledge might be helpful, it isn’t a deal breaker for the right candidate.
Having your Standard Level Math and Standard Level English will also be pretty important.
At the moment we’re operating alongside schools in Edinburgh; however, we are looking to expand into Aberdeen and other areas of Scotland in the near future.
What does an average day for the academy students look like?
So it’s a bit of a cliché, but there isn’t really an average day. Part of what draws students in is that the academy is a learning experience completely different from their other highers. Yes, there is an element of traditional education, but you’re kickstarting a career in cyber security, and that means rolling up your sleeves and diving in!
We host the students at our state-of-the-art facility we’ve set up specifically to house the academy. This means they get hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology and software in the cyber security space. They’ll also be getting experience and tutoring with the best-rated managed service team in Scotland.
As for the foundation apprenticeship itself, the students will cover the following:
- Security Fundamentals
- Network Fundamentals
- Server Administration Fundamentals
- IT and Telecom System Operation and support
- Customer Service skills
And what happens when they graduate?
Upon completing the foundation apprenticeship, a number of options become open to successful students. They’ll be fully prepared to take their first step into the world of cyber security. There are three main paths open to students:
- Get right out there and start working in IT. The academy looks fantastic on a CV, and upon completion of the apprenticeship, we’ll provide a glowing reference. There will also be opportunities for networking to meet potential employers in the space.
- Students could also further their qualifications at the academy. In the not-too-distant future, we’ll also be offering a modern apprenticeship with an opportunity to get real-world experience with some of the biggest businesses in Scotland
- The other option is to go on and study further at a university or similar. With the foundation apprenticeship on your application, students will be able to separate themselves from the competition for many technology-based courses.
If you had anything to say to convince young people to take on a career in IT and cyber security, what would it be?
As we mentioned before, there is a massive shortage of cyber security professionals globally at the moment. That means that as a cyber security professional, your job prospects will be vastly improved.
IT jobs are generally well paid; they also offer a great opportunity for career advancement.
What our team loves most about working in IT is flexibility. Every industry needs IT support, so your options are practically endless. We also know how important flexibility is to young workers. A career in IT means you have the flexibility to work anywhere in the world. The era of digital nomads is right around the corner, and with the lack of cyber security professionals, your skills will be in demand globally as a graduate of the academy.
How can students apply?
At the moment, we work exclusively with schools in Mid Lothian. In order to apply, students need to speak to their guidance counsellor or career advisor. If you’re a school we currently work with, they’ll guide you on how best to apply; if we don’t, they can reach out and get in touch with the team, and we can work on the best way to offer the course to schools in your area!
The future of cyber security in Scotland is the future of business in Scotland. Whether we want to admit it or not, that future looks bleak, but with the academy, we’re training a whole new generation of cyber security defenders. Anyone interested in hearing more about how the academy can help their business directly can get in touch today to hear more.
