Cybersecurity Skills Academy: a coordinated approach to boost the EU cyber workforce
The security of the European Union cannot be guaranteed without the EU’s most valuable resource: its people. The EU urgently needs professionals with the skills and competences to prevent, detect, deter, and defend the EU against cyberattacks.
In 2022, the shortage of cybersecurity professionals in the EU ranged between 260,000 and 500,000, while the EU’s cybersecurity workforce needs were estimated at 883,000 professionals. In addition, women only amounted to 20% of cybersecurity graduates and to 19% of information and communications technology specialists.
As part of the 2023 European Year of Skills, the Commission adopted a Communication on a Cybersecurity Skills Academy (“the Cyber Skills Academy”) on 18 April 2023.
The Cyber Skills Academy is a European policy initiative aiming to bring together existing initiatives on cyber skills and improve their coordination, in view of closing the cybersecurity talent gap and boosting EU’s competitiveness, growth and resilience.
The 4 Pillars of the Cybersecurity Skills Academy
1.Knowledge generation through education and training: establish a common EU approach to cybersecurity training Under this pillar the Academy will address three main aspects:
Frameworks for defining, providing and assessing cyber skills.
Training opportunities, initiatives and organisations relating to cyber skills.
Information on Cybersecurity Certifications
2.Funding & Projects: build synergies to maximise the impact of spending for developing cybersecurity skills Under this pillar the Cyber Skills Academy will address two main aspects:
Funding opportunities for cyber skills, from the public or private sector, at EU or other level
Projects on cyber skills which are or have been already funded.
3.Stakeholder Involvement: committing to close the cybersecurity skills gap Under this pillar the Cyber Skills Academy will address three main aspects:
Pledges from stakeholders to close the cyber skills gap in Europe.
Diversity, including gender balance, of the cyber workforce.
Strategies from Member States and public authorities in general to improve cyber skills.
4.Measuring progress: built-in accountability Under this pillar the Cyber Skills Academy will address two main aspects:
Indicators (existing or to be developed) for measuring the status and progress of cyber skills.
Data available on the status and progress of cyber skills.