The right talent for your business
As one of the most highly educated countries in Europe, Scotland offers a strong output of world-class, multilingual graduates. Thanks to the dynamic mix of academic and vocational qualifications, Scotland has successfully embedded cyber skills into the curriculum, resulting in a holistic approach to scaling up our talent pipeline. The result is a cost-competitive and tech-savvy labour pool that has the famous Scottish work ethic at its core.
Educating for a future in cyber security
Although we have a wealth of existing digital talent, we’re already upskilling for the future; our students are already learning about topics such as data security, digital forensics and ethical hacking. By educating our youngest minds, we are building a nation that has informed citizens, informed businesses and informed organisations who can make the most of digital technologies and manage risks safely.
Unique educational opportunities
Scotland is building a strong reputation on cyber research and training through our many universities which focus on cyber.
- Edinburgh University is recognised as a Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research (ACEs-CSR),
- Abertay University is among the first eight UK universities to be awarded gold standard by the NCSC for Cyber Security Education. Edinburgh Napier has been awarded silver standard.
- Scotland has claim to the only fully certified NCSC degree which is offered at Edinburgh’s Napier University.
- 4 other Scottish universities have NCSC certified masters courses and this list is growing all the time.
The number of students studying cyber security has doubled since 2015 with numbers going from just under 200 undergraduates in 2014 increasing to just below 400 undergraduates in 2019.
Scotland has the 3rd highest number of students studying cyber courses when compared to other parts of the UK as the table below demonstrates.
Skills and careers
Scotland has the greatest density of universities in the world so there’s no shortage of talent to tap into.
- Over 70% of Scotland’s universities now offer cyber security courses with over 23 different courses across the country being offered. Many are being delivered in flexible and part-time programmes to provide access into cyber security at any stage of your career.
- Our universities produce around 21,000 graduates every year. This talent pool stems from courses related to cyber and technology, spanning the disciplines of computer science, engineering and mathematics. Our retention rates are increasing, with an abundance of talent staying in Scotland.
- We’re bringing together educators and employers. The establishment of a Graduate Apprenticeship in Cybersecurity and Data Science allows employees to achieve a degree level qualification while continuing to hone practical skills that meet the needs of employers.
- Our talent pool is brimming with a skilled and passionate workforce – Scotland’s steady stream of tech-savvy cyber recruits provides a great opportunity for investment.