Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the number of cybersecurity professionals in the UK.

As part of the Government's £2.6 billion National Cyber Strategy, the Government is delivering a range of ambitious programmes to boost the number of people with the skills needed to enter the cyber workforce.

Northern Ireland is a global cyber security hub, with ambition to grow its cyber security workforce to exceed 5,000 professionals by 2030. As part of an £18.9 million investment in Northern Ireland’s cyber security industry the Government is funding a Doctoral training programme and Masters bursaries at Queen's University Belfast to support the development of talent for Northern’s Ireland’s cyber sector.

To help people with the necessary aptitude to enter the cyber workforce across the whole of the UK we offer free cyber skills bootcamps through the Government’s ‘Skills for Life’ scheme, including the current “Upskill in Cyber” reskilling programme.

To inspire young people towards a career in cyber and tech, the Government’s Cyber Explorers programme supports teachers to energise 11-14 year olds across the UK. This has seen over 2,000 schools sign up for the programme in its first phase, alongside the National Cyber Security Centre-led ‘CyberFirst’ competitions and degree bursaries.

The Government has worked with industry and other partners to create the UK Cyber Security Council as the new professional body for cyber security. The Council will clearly define quality pathways into and through a cyber career, making a cyber career more attractive to both the current and future workforce.