Absa invests in cyber academy
- Published on 12 Oct 2020
- HR Pulse
Absa is investing heavily to produce more graduates with the skills required to meet the global 4-million job shortfall in cybersecurity.
The Absa Cybersecurity academy, which the bank is building in conjunction with the Maharishi Institute, was originally a reaction to accommodate the shift to automation. It was designed to help reskill Absa employees from the Africa regions by delivering a tailor-made course in a period of 15-16 weeks.
The idea occurred to Sandro Bucchianeri, Absa’s chief security officer, that a more comprehensive offering would help the bank plug gaps in the supply of vital skills it required in the years ahead, as well as help to make a dent in youth unemployment.
The academy centres its efforts on empowering marginalised youths to become certified cybersecurity specialists. “It has now expanded to become a three-year course. We have tried to mix the theoretical and the practical, so it also includes job shadowing, so that as soon as they graduate students can hit the ground running with their employers,” Bucchianeri indicated.
The academy’s first 24 “external” cohorts completed their first year in 2019 and have progressed to the inaugural second year in 2020. The academy’s ambitious goal is to graduate 300 individuals a year. Discussions are taking place with partners to expand the programme.
Source: SA Labour News
