North-east students and professionals have been given the opportunity to kick-start their career in cyber security thanks to a special competition launched by an Aberdeen firm.
The TechForce, which specialises in cyber security solutions and consultancy, has pledged to support five individuals achieve their CompTIA Security+ qualification; an essential requirement for people looking to begin a career in IT security.
People have until Thursday, October 31 to register their interest by submitting a one-minute video, via YouTube, that explains why they will benefit from this qualification.
To be eligible, applicants must be a Scottish resident and not hold any existing cyber security certifications or a related degree. Video links can be marked as “unlisted” to remain private and should be emailed to maribel@thetechforce.co.uk by the deadline.
The best five entries will be rewarded with funding towards the cost of their exam. Two of these will be reimbursed in full, while the other three will receive a 50 per-cent contribution, on receipt of proof of their qualification, up until the end of March 2020.
Jai Aenugu, managing director at The TechForce, said: “As part of our commitment to paying it forward, we are always looking at ways in which we can support the next generation of talent coming into the IT and security industry.
“With that in mind, we are delighted to offer five individual sponsorships, covering up to 100 per-cent of the exam cost, to help people get their foot on the career ladder.
“As well as university and college students, we expect to receive applications from working people of all ages and backgrounds who are perhaps keen to pivot their careers to focus exclusively on security.
“From all the team at The TechForce, best of luck to all the applicants and I look forward to sifting through the submissions after the deadline to help select the winners.”
The TechForce provides email phishing and security awareness training, endpoint security solutions, vulnerability management and cyber essentials consultancy for medium-to-large businesses.
Located at the Balmoral Hub, Wellington Circle, the business was recently awarded a place on the highly competitive G-Cloud 11 framework, the Government’s cloud and IT services procurement platform. It has also been recognised with Approved Cyber Essentials Practitioner (Advanced) status to support clients achieve Cyber Essentials Plus.