THE HOPE IN OUR STUDENTS

by Chloe Miller, One In Tech Program Manager, ISACA

Diversity may mean different things in different countries, but all countries seem to share a lack of diverse candidates in their cybersecurity workforce. Initiatives to make access to education more equitable and build diversity within the cyber industry will reshape the workforce pipeline.

The exclusion of people from the workforce is something that occurs not only when they are seeking employment. Exclusion by gender, race, culture, etc often begins at birth through societal structures — economics, geography, history, government, etc — and continues through elementary school, secondary school and college into the workforce. At each of these life stages, the pool of people accessing opportunities narrows, culminating in exclusion from the workforce.

Because exclusion pervades all facets of society there is not one approach or one entity able to counter the practice. No one can do everything to build equity in education, socioeconomics, employment and the myriad other areas in which it occurs. A widespread, constantly evolving collaborative approach is needed.

Investment In Inclusion Pays Off

Many commercial and other organisations are collaborating to support inclusion in education and the workplace. They see early investment providing a strong return: it will boost the pipeline of talent needed for future roles.

At ISACA we determined that our One In Tech (OIT) foundation’s efforts could best be focused on the college and early career stages to build pathways for students who come from under-represented populations.

OIT uses scholarships and workforce training programs in collaboration with academia, ISACA chapters, corporations and other non-profit groups to build the cybersecurity pipeline through inclusion and access. In addition to funding tuition, OIT provides career‑building resources to all our scholarship awardees. These include free certificate trainings, mentorship, professional membership, conference registration and networking. We also have another program, SheLeadsTech, which is designed to support women in accelerating their career progression into leadership roles.

As the need for cybersecurity professionals continues to grow and as cyber criminals become more prolific and advanced, there is hope for the future. That hope stems from our current students. Every applicant I see gives me hope, a sentiment shared with the 200+ security professionals who volunteered to review the scholarship applications. One volunteer said, “There were so many great candidates. I really got a lot of insight about the applicants and the kind of passion they have to excel in cybersecurity even though they have limited resources. I wish all the best to the candidates in their journeys.”

The judges saw the challenges many exceptional applicants with limited access to education and resources face. Despite these challenges they are hungry to learn, an important trait in this industry.

They are also eager to give back. Our 2022 ISACA Auckland Chapter Scholarship awardee, Danielle Domingo, said: “This scholarship means a lot to me as it gives me the opportunity to be mentored and it gives me hope. I hope to encourage women like me, who are trying to change their careers, that they can do it too!”

A Call To Action

One In Tech has a scholarship in September 2023 for students in Australia pursuing a cybersecurity degree. Please reach out to students you know and encourage them to apply, and keep an eye out for the awardees to connect with afterwards.

These students may not know everything, but we must take a chance on them. They have the attitude and ability to learn, and we can support them with scholarship, mentorship, apprenticeship and internship programs.

These scholarships are made possible with support from many corporations. If your company is not already participating, reach out to us or one that is. I promise it will not be a waste of you or your company’s time. A conversation is all it takes to start a diversity-building initiative in your region. Together we can take a chance on tomorrow’s talent.

www.linkedin.com/in/chloermiller