Taking a holistic approach towards supporting cybersecurity skilling and closing the cybersecurity skills gap in Europe.
Google is more focused than ever on protecting people, businesses and governments by sharing our expertise, empowering society to address ever-evolving cyber risks and continuously working to advance the state of the art in cybersecurity to build a safer world for everyone.
And we are committed to doing our part to close the cybersecurity skills gap in Europe.
Building from our product expertise and years of experience with digital skills training through our Grow with Google initiatives, we have taken a holistic approach to contributing towards building Europe’s cybersecurity capacity. To this end, we have launched a number of programs that address different types of learners:
Building on our broader Google Career Certificates program, in 2023, we launched the new Google Cybersecurity Certificate in English, French, and Spanish. The Certificate prepares learners for a new career in the high-growth field of cybersecurity in under six months, with no relevant experience required.
To help underserved learners complete the full suit of Google Career Certificates , Google.org — Google’s philanthropic arm — has provided scholarships through a grant to INCO, who support NGOs across Europe. So far 13,000 learners who face systemic barriers to learning opportunities have successfully completed a certificate through INCO’s Work in Tech program, with the help of a tailored support system that can include childcare, language support or mentoring, for example.
In addition, Google.org also provided grants to Women for Cyber (W4C) and INCO, to provide tailored wrap-around support and scholarships to 1,000 women from underserved backgrounds, helping them to complete the Google Cybersecurity Certificate and build their careers.
Building further on our Grow with Google program, through which we partner closely with governments, experts and local organisations, we have also developed dedicated training for SMBs, to help them keep their business, employees, and customers safe online. The training is available online in 19 languages.
And as a next step in our journey, we want to contribute to the EU Cybersecurity Skills Academy by launching a new program to help build a strong pipeline of cyber experts in Europe: the Google.org Cybersecurity Seminars program.
The programme will be the first of its kind in Europe, offering European universities a cybersecurity training programme and curriculum to train staff, who will in turn train students from diverse backgrounds with no prior experience in cybersecurity skills.
The programme will offer funding to create the first pan-European community of cybersecurity trainers among universities and academic staff. The trainers, managed by the European Cyber Conflict Research Incubator (ECCRI), will be provided with a specialist training curriculum, tuition, and best practices - preparing them to lead their own easily accessible and hands-on cybersecurity training to students from diverse backgrounds and all academic profiles.
The program will also fund the creation of the first flexible cybersecurity curriculum, offering an entry-level overview of the field and basic skills which can be used to support community organisations most vulnerable to cyber attacks.
The curriculum will be available in 9 European languages, including English, Spanish and Ukrainian, and it will be open source and readily available for academic institutions to use - along with comprehensive teaching instructions.
To mark the launch of the programme, one university in eight different countries selected through an open call will receive up to $1M funding from Google.org - as well as course content, extensive training and mentorship from the ECCRI - to help bring the Cybersecurity Seminars to life. The open call for applications opens on November 29 and will close on February 29, 2024.
The courses, which require no prior academic qualifications or cybersecurity expertise, will combine in-person bootcamps with practical experience. Those taking part will learn basic skills in the classroom before putting those into practice in placements with local community organisations, with the focus on nonprofits and small businesses who are in critical need of support. During the first two years of the program, over 1,600 students will learn basic skills in the classroom before putting them into practice with at least two local organizations.
The courses, training and curriculum aim to diversify the pipeline of talent in cybersecurity - helping those on the programme to learn from scratch, raise awareness of career opportunities in cybersecurity, get hands-on experience and prepare for entry level jobs.
Google commits to review and update the status of this pledge every six months.
