Greater than 15 girls have graduated from cyberUPLIFT, a brand new cybersecurity coaching programme from TECwomen, a community-interest firm dedicated to supporting, coaching, and constructing a community for ladies who work or aspire to work within the Know-how, Engineering, and Inventive Digital industries.
The programme, which builds on the success of TECwomen’s digitalUPLIFT initiative, was developed to sort out two pressing and interconnected challenges: the rising degree of on-line threats disproportionately affecting girls and the crucial underrepresentation of ladies in cybersecurity careers—particularly in rural areas like Cornwall.
“The cyberUPLIFT course has been an amazing success,” stated Suzanne Manson, Operations Director at TECwomen CIC. “It has been a pleasure seeing the individuals develop in confidence as they’ve expanded their cybersecurity information and expertise.”
Upskilling Ladies to Defend Themselves and Their Workplaces
Analysis from King’s Faculty has proven that ladies are 25% extra probably than males to expertise on-line abuse, whereas males are considerably extra more likely to have interaction with protecting safety applied sciences. This disparity in entry to on-line security instruments leaves many ladies extra susceptible to cyber threats.
cyberUPLIFT goals to shut this hole by equipping girls with the digital literacy and sensible cybersecurity expertise they should higher shield themselves in an more and more hostile on-line setting.
Enabling Profession Pivots right into a Rising Trade
Past private empowerment, the programme can also be serving to individuals transition into cybersecurity careers—a sector at the moment dealing with a major expertise scarcity. In line with Safety Transient UK, 71% of organisations within the UK have been affected by the cybersecurity expertise hole. But, regardless of ongoing efforts to diversify the sphere, the proportion of ladies in cybersecurity roles fell from 24% in 2021 to only 17% in 2024.
This subject is particularly pronounced in rural areas like Cornwall, the place geographic isolation, an absence of native coaching choices, and restricted visibility of tech roles typically forestall girls in sectors like healthcare, training, and hospitality from making the leap into cybersecurity.
cyberUPLIFT addresses this by providing a versatile, on-line 8-week course designed to construct each technical capabilities and private confidence. Members realized how you can shield their communities from cyber threats and gained foundational expertise wanted to interrupt into a historically male-dominated business.
“We want to thank Innovate UK particularly for his or her help in making this occur,” added Manson. “And we lengthen our appreciation to the companions who provided their time and experience to essentially convey the course to life and present the individuals what a possible profession within the cybersecurity business will likely be like. We want our graduates the most effective of luck sooner or later.”
Constructing Trade Connections
Whereas the course was primarily on-line, cyberUPLIFT additionally featured in-person classes to assist individuals construct direct hyperlinks with the cybersecurity business. Mentors from the Nationwide Cyber Safety Centre, Cool Waters Cyber, and the South West Cyber Resilience Centre participated within the initiative. One of many highlights was a workshop hosted by Cool Waters Cyber known as “A Day within the Lifetime of a Cyber Necessities Guide.”
“I’m delighted to see so many ladies participating with cyber safety and exhibiting an curiosity in a profession in cyber,” stated Mark Faithfull, CEO of Cool Waters Cyber. “The extent of engagement and enthusiasm was thrilling to see. We’re proud to help TECwomen CIC on this challenge and proceed to develop the following technology of cyber expertise in Cornwall.”
Members additionally had the chance to community with professionals from Cornwall Council, Corserv, and Kings Service Centre, which additional helped bridge the hole between studying and real-world software.
The programme’s recognition rapidly exceeded expectations. Though initially designed for 15 girls, the course introduced in January 2025 was oversubscribed inside weeks. It launched on 29 January with 22 individuals, with extra becoming a member of later and others positioned on a ready record for future iterations.
Trying Forward: Inspiring the Subsequent Technology
Following the success of cyberUPLIFT, TECwomen CIC is increasing its efforts to succeed in even youthful audiences. With help from the Cyber Native Fund, the organisation is launching the TECgirls Cyber Guardians Membership—an 8-week hybrid afterschool programme aimed toward Key Stage 2 college students.
The initiative will introduce 100 ladies from 10 faculties throughout Cornwall to cybersecurity ideas and their intersection with psychological well being and wellbeing in an more and more digital world. The programme will culminate in a particular in-person gathering on twenty sixth March, the place all individuals will meet for a day of inspiration and interactive workshops.
After finishing the programme, every woman will change into a “Cyber Guardian” in her faculty, serving to share very important classes about on-line security and digital wellbeing with college students and workers.
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