Pathway to certification scholarships support European women in cybersecurity

Advancing European women in cybersecurity through certification opportunities

As the demand for cybersecurity professionals continues to grow across Europe, increasing opportunities for women to advance into specialized cybersecurity roles remains a critical workforce priority. To help address this need, ISC2 and the Center for Cyber Safety & Education made a pledge in November of 2024 to support the European Union’s Digital Skills and Job Platform initiative.  This initiative is designed to support women in the European Union as they pursue advanced cybersecurity credentials.

As part of this pledge, women who successfully completed the Certified in Cybersecurity program through the EU Digital Skills and Jobs Platform pledge will have the opportunity to take the next step in their professional development. Twenty-five scholarships will be awarded to eligible applicants seeking to earn either the Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) certification or the Certified in Governance, Risk, and Compliance (CGRC) certification.

Building on a foundation of cybersecurity skills

The scholarship program builds on the success of the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) training and exam initiative offered through the EU Digital Skills and Jobs Platform. Through that program, thousands of learners have gained foundational cybersecurity knowledge and earned an entry-level certification that validates their understanding of key cybersecurity concepts. 

These certifications can help open doors to a wide range of cybersecurity career opportunities. The SSCP certification is valued in roles such as Security Analyst, Security Administrator, Network Security Engineer, Systems Administrator, and Security Consultant. The CGRC certification supports professionals pursuing careers in governance, risk management, compliance, auditing, and cybersecurity leadership.

The case for investing in women's cybersecurity careers is reinforced by both representation and demand data. In the latest ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study, just over a fifth (21%) of participants perceive their cybersecurity teams as having only 10% women or fewer, and 14% reported that their cybersecurity teams contain no women at all. Within the EU, Germany and the Netherlands saw the smallest perceived percentage of women on security teams at 15%. At the same time, the European cybersecurity skills deficit continues to grow, with the implementation of NIS2 and the Cyber Resilience Act expected to widen demand for cybersecurity skills and roles further.

Certifications are particularly well-suited to broadening entry into the profession. The cybersecurity industry has embraced a skills-first approach, recognizing that practical ability can be acquired through a variety of paths. Candidates without a formal degree can enter the field by focusing on certifications, practical experience and networking, and an entry-level certification is a powerful signal of a candidate's dedication to a cybersecurity career. For women considering a move into cybersecurity, including professionals from adjacent fields such as IT administration, project management, governance or compliance, this skills-first route lowers the barriers traditionally associated with degree-led hiring and offers a faster, verifiable way to demonstrate domain knowledge to employers.

The program also speaks to a known retention and advancement challenge. According to the latest ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study, 45% of women participants considered work-life balance and caregiving demands to be the top challenge faced by women in cybersecurity, 35% cited limited leadership opportunities, and a third (34%) reported that pay or promotion inequity has prevented women from moving forward. Supporting women's progression from foundational to specialized certifications such as SSCP and CGRC contributes to opening the technical and governance career tracks where mid-career advancement typically takes place, and where women's representation needs to grow if Europe is to meet its cybersecurity capacity needs.

Supporting the next stage of career growth

The scholarship program is available exclusively to women residing in one of the 27 European Union Member States who completed the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity training and passed the CC examination between November 1, 2024, and July 1, 2026. Applications are open June 15, 2026, through July 27th, 2026, with scholarship recipients announced in September 2026. You can find more information and the application here.