Industry- Academia Network: Partnership between Fortinet and CodeAcademy

As members of the Industry-Academia Network of the Cybersecurity Skills Academy, Fortinet and CodeAcademy are partnering to expand access to cybersecurity education. Through this collaboration Fortinet will provide the VET provider CodeAcademy with unlimited complimentary access to its self-paced training courses for both students and faculty. In addition, Fortinet will sponsor certification exam vouchers at no cost for all participants.  

The partnership includes training and certifications throughthe Fortinet Network Security Expert (NSE) Certification program, covering all levels from Fortinet Certified Fundamentals (FCF) to the Fortinet Certified Solution Specialist (FCSS). As part of the Fortinet Academic Partner Programme, CodeAcademy will additionally gain unrestricted access to online hands-on labs and virtual machines, significantly enhancing practical cybersecurity skills and real-world readiness. CodeAcademy aims to train and certify 50 of its students within one year in collaboration with Fortinet, which will lead to significant improvement of real-life application of its courses, and broaden the skillset of CodeAcademy students. 

This partnership will further support the implementation of the pledge made by Fortinet to provide training, certification and awareness- raising to 75,000 EU citizens, in line with its Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) values.  

On 18 June 2025, Fortinet and CodeAcademy have signed a partnership under the Industry-Academia Network of the Cybersecurity Skills Academy, joining efforts to narrow the cybersecurity skills and talent gap in Europe.

We are pleased to be part of the Cybersecurity Skills Academy’s Industry-Academia Network. Through this growing collaboration between industry and academia, we aim to bridge the cybersecurity skills gap and empower the next generation of professionals with the knowledge and hands-on experience needed to protect our digital future.

 Rob Rashotte, Vice President, Fortinet Training Institute, Fortinet

We are proud to join forces with Fortinet under the Industry-Academia Network of the Cybersecurity Skills Academy. This partnership marks an important step toward equipping our students with the practical skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the cybersecurity workforce and contribute to closing the skills gap across Europe.

Kotryna Jankūnaitė, Head of Product, CodeAcademy

The partnership

Fortinet and CodeAcademy partner to grow the European entry-level cybersecurity talent pool. 

Partners:  

Academia: CodeAcademy  

Industry: Fortinet  

Description:  

Partnership is prioritizing cybersecurity skills to address the workforce shortage and boost its competitiveness, focusing on  industry-academia collaboration,  with a mission to create experts in the field of cybersecurity while developing the cyber workforce of the future.

Target audience: 50 students, recent graduates, professionals seeking employment, career changers, and anyone interested in developing or expanding their digital and cybersecurity skills—regardless of experience level.

European Cybersecurity Skills Framework role profiles: All

Sector: No specific sector is targeted. 

Cybersecurity with technology-specific interest: Artificial Intelligence, Quantum, Edge computing, Virtual, augmented or mixed reality, Blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), Green Tech, 5G, 6G, Cloud, Cryptography

Location: The partnership is available with flexible learning options in both self-paced and classroom-based formats.

Languages: English (all curriculum and courses) 

Cost: Free 

Link to the initiative: https://www.fortinet.com/training/academic-partner-program

Contact persons: Allison Aze aaze@fortinet.com, Kotryna Jankunaite kotryna@codeacademy.lt