Newly elected Dudley North MP, Marco Longhi has welcomed The Open University’s launch of a free and exciting cyber security retraining opportunity for those living in the West Midlands Combined Authority region.
The CyberSkills course is a 20-week part-time programme for working adults, which will upskill residents with much-needed specialist cyber training and help those who want to make a career change. Funding for this has been provided by the West Midlands Combined Authority as part of the ‘Beat the Bots Fund’.
Designed primarily for tech enthusiasts keen to find a path into the cyber profession, this programme will provide learners with the knowledge and skills required to carry out entry level roles in cyber security, such as:
- cyber security analyst;
- information security analyst; and
- network security specialist.
What will individuals learn?
- Foundational computer networking and networking security principles before moving on, in a supported, structured way, to develop higher level cyber operations skills. These skills are in high demand across all sectors of the West Midlands economy as organisations look to enhance their cyber resilience.
- Work towards the internationally recognised Cisco CCNA CyberOps industry certification so employers will understand the skills developed.
The deadline for completed applications is 6 February 2020. The programme is scheduled to start on 24 February 2020. For more information and to apply, please follow the following link: https://www.open.ac.uk/cyber-skills
Commenting, Marco Longhi MP said:
“What an exciting opportunity for residents. During the programme, individuals will have access to a wealth of careers resources, including courses, CV writing assistance and interview preparation, to help ready them for an entry level job in cyber security.
“I am pleased to see the WMCA supporting the Open University, which will help to provide new skills for our residents in a sector that is growing and will be the jobs of future. As society embraces technology its important our residents are upskilled to face the challenges and opportunities all new technology brings.
“I fully support this great initiative and look forward to hearing the success stories for those that take part.”
