Focus on cybersecurity in digital skills training
More than 2,000 Queenslanders are taking advantage of free or low-cost government-funded training to learn skills to keep personal and business data secure.
Training and Skills Development Minister Di Farmer today visited a new $2 million cybersecurity training operations center at Mooloolaba TAFE on the Sunshine Coast, where the new training courses for digital skills are offered.
Farmer said Sunshine Coast residents were among 2,200 students who had registered statewide for digital skills qualifications.
“There is a fantastic variety of activities in the digital sector and this area of training and skills supports a growing part of the wider economy,” Farmer said.
“More and more companies are looking for e-commerce opportunities and are increasingly relying on online channels to stay in touch with their customers and attract new business.
“In addition to lowering the cost of accessing this training, the Queensland Government is making significant investments in digital skills training facilities as part of our $100 million Equipping TAFE for our Future initiative.
“We are developing cybersecurity training operations centers across three TAFE Queensland campuses, with recently completed construction in Mooloolaba, followed by centers in Southbank and Cairns, with a total investment of $6 million.
“Cybersecurity is a growing industry that requires skilled cybersecurity professionals to enter the job market both statewide and nationally.
“These operations centers will help train students to monitor hacking and web data triage, test cyberattack and defense scenarios, and establish new data centers and IT infrastructure.
“The potential in this sector is strong, with new technologies and opportunities always coming, and I hope to see more people take this training to build rewarding careers,” Farmer said.
After seven years working as a civil draftsman, Jarrad Rogers had planned to travel, but when COVID-19 forced him to reevaluate his plans, he reignited his passion for working in IT.
Rogers first completed a Certificate III in Information, Digital Media and Technology and then undertook a Certificate IV in Cyber Security. He has since started working with IDCARE, a charity that supports victims of scams and cybercrimes by helping them recover and mitigate risk.
“My interest in cybersecurity comes from my parents and the desire to protect them,” he said. “They live in the digital age, but have no experience or understanding of dangerousness, which makes them vulnerable to online threats.
“There are a lot of vulnerable people like that, and also people who will try to take advantage of it.
“I know these crimes have the potential to harm people. Along with any financial loss they might suffer, they are often left searching for answers and ashamed of having been taken advantage of,” he said.
Farmer said Rogers is among more than 500 people who have signed up for the Cybersecurity Certificate IV and will help businesses and other organizations build strong systems and protect vital data.
“Helping staff work remotely, engage with customers online, and ensure data systems and processes manage privacy, security and efficiency goals make this a vital challenge for different businesses,” it said. she declared.