Cisco is making 500 scholarships available to young Italians (aged between 18 and 45) with the ambition of becoming cybersecurity experts. These scholarships will allow the selected participants to attend a free course based on the contents of the Cisco Networking Academy training programme, access to workshops and webinars with cybersecurity experts and companies active in the digital sector. The initiative is in collaboration with the Cisco Cybersecurity Co-Innovation Center and Academy Partners.
"The skills gap in cybersecurity is widening every year. Demand from companies remains unsatisfied and at the same time many are unable to enter the job market or need to retrain. By funding these scholarships we want to send a strong signal, offering more opportunities to specialise in one of the key sectors of today and tomorrow. With this new initiative, we are following up on our commitment to spread the digital skills we have acquired as part of our Digitaliani investment plan, putting people at the centre," said Luca Lepore, CSR & Corporate Affairs Manager at Cisco Italia.
In a survey of 600 IT managers and business decision makers, Cisco reports that 93% of respondents say they have a lack of talent that is so significant that it is slowing down business transformation. In Italy, the security sector generated a value of €1.3 billion in 2019, up 11% on the previous year.
How to participate and the course
To take advantage of this opportunity, interested young people have until 27 November. To participate in the selection process, go to the website dedicated to the Cybersecurity Scholarship Italia initiative: you are required to complete a free basic course "Introduction to Cybersecurity" online and then apply with your CV. Selected young people will be able to take part in the programme, which will run between December 2020 and June 2021.
You will receive a certificate of participation in the Scholarship and Cisco digital badges. You will also have the opportunity to get in touch with companies active in the digital sector and become part of a Cisco community open to all participants and the company's cybersecurity experts, to create contacts and exchange ideas.
The selection is open to all young people between 18 and 45 years old, resident in Italy, with a high school or university education. A good knowledge of English is also required.
