The shortage of workers in Bristol and the West of England with cyber skills is to be addressed through a major new scheme to be launched next week.
Called Do Cyber, it will help raise awareness, create and deliver opportunities for young people so they can develop the necessary skills needed to work in cyber – an area with the biggest global growth potential for jobs. 
Do Cyber is a partnership between the UWE and leading cyber organisations including Cyber Security Challenge UK, defence and aerospace group Leonardo, South West Police Regional Cyber Crime Unit, Bristol & Bath Cyber, High Tech Bristol & Bath, Immersive Labs, Graphic Science and Weston College.
Some 24 schools from across the region will be attending the first Cyber Taster Day event at UWE Bristol on Tuesday.
Students aged between 12 and 14 will get the opportunity to participate in a range of employer-led activities delivered by companies including Leonardo, Just Eat, IBM, SANS, Corvid, Amiosec, Cyber Security Associates and South West Police Regional Cyber Crime Unit.
In the New Year the Do Cyber project group will work with schools to create and deliver content for cyber-related games, activities and online resources. The Do Cyber website, which signposts information about the industry, will be launched at the event. The project’s success will be tracked and measured to follow progress and determine future needs and requirements.
Do Cyber will also encourage students from the region to enter the National Cyber Security Centre’s CyberFirst Girls competition, which is designed to encourage and inspire the next generation of young women to consider a future career in cyber security.
Other plans include the creation of an independent regional final for girls who take part in the CyberFirst Girls Competition, hosted by UWE, next March.
Do Cyber project manager at UWE, Elaine Brown, said: “While using advanced technology has become part of our everyday lives, the challenge now is to learn how to protect ourselves in this digital world.
“We hear of organisations being hacked in the news and people’s personal data being stolen. Some attacks have shut down hospitals and airports. The threat is huge, but so too are the opportunities to work in an industry that keeps us all safe.
“Our aim is to highlight the broad range of ever-increasing opportunities in cyber security and digital technology. The Do Cyber event should suit anyone with an inquiring mind, who enjoys problem solving. We hope to excite and engage young people so that they will want to find out more, as well as learn how they could have a role themselves in protecting the technology we now rely on so heavily.”
To find out more about the Do Cyber project contact elaine3.brown@uwe.ac.uk
