In partnership with University of Gloucestershire | glos.ac.uk
The University of Gloucestershire has a long-standing commitment to supporting businesses. With eight academic schools across campuses in Cheltenham and Gloucester, it has the expertise to support organisations at every stage of their development, including at its well-regarded business school.
It is helping grow talent through its accredited professional programmes, including its senior leadership degree apprenticeships.
With hundreds of millions of pounds about to be invested in creating Cyber Central UK beside GCHQ, jobs in the sector are expected to follow, and the University of Gloucestershire is at the forefront of making sure the county has the right skills to capitalise on the opportunity.
We focus in on one of the roles expected to be in high demand, the university’s new cyber security technical professional degree apprenticeship and why you should consider the qualification.
1. Fastest-growing sector
If you pursue a career in cyber security you are aiming for a job in one of the fastest-growing sectors not just in IT, but in the UK – especially in Gloucestershire. Jobs in cyber security offer the potential of higher than average earnings plus interesting, challenging work.
With age restrictions lifted from apprenticeships, and many firms are now able to access funding from the government, you do not have to be starting out your working life for the cyber security technical professional degree apprenticeship to make sense.
2. Shortage of talent
Not only is the University of Gloucestershire planning ahead by rolling out its cyber security technical professional degree apprenticeship, it is responding to a shortage of talent that already exists.
Half of firms surveyed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in 2022 said they had a basic technical skills gap – with one in three admitting to an advanced skills gap, yet 37 per cent of all vacancies for cyber roles since January 2019 have been hard to fill.
3. High earnings potential
With a shortage of supply of qualified staff comes the inevitable high demand from firms, which sees the salaries they are prepared to pay for the right individuals heading in only one direction.
According to the website Cyber Security Jobs, research by PayScale shows cyber security professionals earn an average of £42,000 a year with senior and specialist staff earning significantly more. Salaries in excess of £30,000 are not uncommon even for entry level roles.
4. Variety of career options
The range of roles within the sector known as ‘cyber security’ are vast, which makes for a wide range of career options and an engaging career path for those with the right qualifications and skills who thrive on a challenge.
According to figures from Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport some of the most common in-demand roles in cyber include engineers, security managers, analysts, consultants and architects.
5. Job satisfaction
In a world where the challenges are ever evolving and where the consequences of a data breach could be huge, being on the front line of protecting those businesses and organisations and winning the battle can be hugely rewarding.
If you enjoy working in an environment with pressure, enjoy puzzle solving and team work, you could help make all the difference to those who need to ensure their cyber security is in safe hands – and you will have found yourself a rewarding career too.
6. Range of sectors
With the right skills you could work for some of the county’s most innovative and dynamic firms in almost any sector, but the most common sectors include consultancy, finance and insurance, IT, aerospace and defence, communications, public sector and retail.
A third of cyber security jobs are in London, but Gloucestershire has the largest cluster of businesses in the sector outside of the capital and with the forthcoming Golden Valley Development that is only likely to grow.
By Andrew Merrell
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