Minister for Training and Skills Gayle Tierney today announced AU$1 million for Deakin University’s Bachelor of Cyber Security, which has been used to develop the degree and for industry certification licences, ensuring rigorous standards are met.
There is an increasing demand for cybersecurity graduates, which are vital in the growing fight against cybercrime. In 2015, cybercrime affected almost half of small and medium Australian businesses and costs the nation’s economy about AU$17 billion a year.
The Bachelor of Cyber Security, which had its first intake this year, was developed with Deakin’s Cyber Security Industry Partnership members including Dimension Data, ANZ Bank and the National Australia Bank (NAB).
Up to 50 jobs are available at Dimension Data, Deakin, NAB or ANZ for the first lot of graduates who will be equipped with the skills necessary to investigate and combat cybercrime.
Minister Tierney said, “The Bachelor of Cyber Security is a great example of what can be achieved when training providers work together with industry, in this case it is combating cybercrime and cyberterrorism and giving graduates jobs.”
Deakin and Box Hill Institute of TAFE are working together to provide pathways for students undertaking Box Hill’s new Advanced Diploma of Cyber Security into the bachelor program.
The new Advanced Diploma builds on the Certificate IV in Cyber Security, both of which were developed after Box Hill secured funding through the Labor Government’s TAFE Back to Work Fund.
There is a significant lack of cyber security professionals in Australia. A survey commissioned by Intel Security estimates that about a fifth of cybersecurity jobs could go unfilled by 2020.
Through Skills First, the Labor Government is overhauling Victoria’s training and TAFE system, making sure everyone has access to high quality training to get a job and industry has the skilled workforce it needs.
Featured image of Deakin University's Building BC from the air by Bob T licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.