We consistently hear about the shortage of cybersecurity professionals, often mentioned in the same sentence discussing the growing threat of data breaches and malware attacks. With the global pandemic pushing more of the world to work from home, these threats are now amplified, as more vulnerabilities are introduced, and technology leaders feel less control. And while the same pandemic created a growing supply of workers, they rarely have the skills needed to fill the jobs. This is likely why 4,200 CIOs deemed cybersecurity in a recent Harvey Nash/KPMG survey as the “most in-demand technology skill in the world.”
What are we doing about it? If you look to academia, those institutions that are eager to align their product with global demand are moving beyond computer science and creating programs in more specific technology fields – cyber, privacy, data science, etc. However, they often face two problems in moving the right candidates through the funnel: 1) The students they attract or need to attract often lack the basic IT skills and understanding to be effective in these growing fields and 2) The graduates they produce often lack the hands-on, specific skills companies are so desperately trying to find. Because of this, companies are now willing to go anywhere to find the right candidates that can be trained with the necessary skills – even if it means no longer requiring a degree.
Before the pandemic, when I was able to visit campuses and have face-to-face conversations with faculty, I clearly remember a specific conversation my team and I had with the head of a computer science department at a US university in Illinois. He mentioned how both schools and companies desperately need to train students on the very basics of information technology and it is not happening enough – even within his own program. This is the first step. From there, we can then tap into a pool of students that can specialize in these different IT fields. Most of the offered programs instead expect students to be able to jump right in, limiting the candidate pool. And he said all this before the pandemic created the need for reskilling at a level we have not seen in decades. Now, as so many people are unemployed, and many more are underemployed, we must find another solution.
At ISACA®, we are dealing with the other side of the same problem. Our established certifications, three of which rank in the top 10 highest-paying IT certifications, all require significant work experience to qualify. This, and the rigorous exam for each, limits the pool deliberately. Until recently, we offered very little to a college student looking to demonstrate her skills in IT or an unemployed marketer who is looking to switch careers entirely and does not know where to start. While we offer these candidates the opportunity to attend events, join a local chapter and become members, they are not able to take full advantage of the doors that only a certification can open.
The gap on college campuses, the desperate needs of employers and the limitations of our offerings is what led us to create the new Information Technology Certified Associate™ (ITCA™) credential, our first stackable credential focused on that very specific demographic – anyone looking to start a career in technology – whether fresh out of university/school or switching careers. We view it as a gateway certification that will be a stepping-stone to any technology field they want to pursue, beyond the IT helpdesk – cyber, software development, IT audit, infrastructure, risk, etc. Further, it’s a performance-based credential, meaning that students cannot simply memorize a study guide and answer questions, but rather, they must demonstrate their knowledge in hands-on, virtual labs, which are assessed and considered as the certification is awarded. It covers five fundamental areas to start: Computing, Networks and Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, Data Science, and Software. Once you complete all five certificates, you have the full certification. However, anyone can take fewer than five if they are just looking for a specific certificate.
We believe that getting these programs into schools/universities will allow us to create a better pool of candidates. And, given that hundreds of thousands of ISACA credential-holders are the hiring managers at many of the companies with these job shortages, we believe that this credential will give students a foot in the door and open up networking opportunities. We also believe that through our foundation, One In Tech, this credential will be a great tool for those individuals in underprivileged and/or underrepresented communities to be exposed to bigger and better opportunities than what is currently available to them.
The convergence of industry, education and mission-driven communities, such as ISACA, can help fill the skills gap and improve the employability of all – with the emphasis on all. We are excited to see how this program evolves.
Editor’s note: For additional resources for rising IT professionals, visit ISACA’s new Rising Professionals page.