Cyber Skills Launch
Friday, 4 June 2021

Cyber Skills is a highly focused, collaborative initiative addressing skill shortages in the Cybersecurity sector. Cyber Skills will work closely with industry to gain insight into the needs of the Cyber Security workplace, in order to design targeted upskilling/reskilling pathways to produce workplace-ready graduates. Incorporating fully online delivery and the use of the first Cyber Range in Ireland where learners can test their new skills, our programmes will address national and regional skills shortages in this rapidly changing technological environment. These innovative delivery methods means these programmes can be scaled regionally, nationally and even internationally. This project has been awarded a significant amount of funding of €8.1 Million from the Human Capital Initiative programme from the Higher Authority.

Cyber Skills hosted its official launch, virtually on June 1st at 10:30am. The hour-long launch came live from the VE Studios Cork where industry partners, cyber security researchers and university project partners took the viewer through the importance of addressing cyber skills shortages in Ireland and the benefits this project will have to industry both nationally and internationally.

The launch was hosted by Professor Donna O’Shea Project Lead and Chair of Cyber Security at MTU. Donna was joined by Dr. Eoin Byrne, Cluster Manager of Cyber Ireland who led the first panel discussion with project partners Prof. Joseph Walsh Munster Technological University, Dr. Anthony Keane TU Dublin, Dr. Thomas Newe University of Limerick and Dr. Ray Genoe University College Dublin. The MC for the event was Cyber Skills Project Manager Jacqueline Kehoe.

The agenda included fireside chats and panel discussions with project partners, Dell and Mastercard,  and there was also a fireside chat with Vivienne Patterson Head of Skills and Engagement at Higher Education Authority. See this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C22TZrui6SI