skills gaps. We will also define and develop the cyber security skills needed across the
population and workforce to operate safely and securely online.
This requires action over the next twenty years, not just the next five. We will define the longterm, coordinated set of actions needed by government, industry, education providers and
academia to establish a sustained supply of competent cyber security professionals, who meet the
requisite standards and certification to practice confidently and securely.
We will close the skills gap in Defense. We will attract cyber specialists to government who are
not only effectively trained but also ready to maintain our national security. This includes an
understanding of the impact of cyberspace on military operations.
We will develop and implement a self-standing skills strategy that builds on existing work to
integrate cyber security into the education system. This will continue to improve the state of
computer science teaching overall and embed cyber
Security into the curriculum. Everyone studying computer science, technology or digital skills
will learn the fundamentals of cyber security and will be able to bring those skills into the
workforce. As part of this effort, we will address the gender imbalance in cyber-focused
professions, and reach people from more diverse backgrounds, to make sure we are drawing
from the widest available talent pool. We will work closely with the Devolved Administrations
to encourage a consistent approach across the SL.
Alongside this work, the Government will invest in a range of initiatives to bring about
immediate improvements and inform the development of the long-term skills strategy. These
include:
establishing a schools programme to create a step change in specialist cyber security
education and training for talented people;
creating higher and degree-level apprenticeships within the energy, finance and transport
sectors to address skills gaps in essential areas;
establishing a fund to retrain candidates already in the workforce who show a high
potential for the cyber security profession;
identifying and supporting quality cyber graduate and post graduate education, and
identifying and filling any specialist skills gaps;
Supporting the accreditation of teacher professional development in cyber security;