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Microsoft has partnered with Australian Cyber Security Growth Network (AustCyber) for a new upskilling trainee scheme.
Partnering with TAFE NSW and the Canberra Institute of Technology, the Cyber Security Microsoft Traineeship Program (MTP) aims to upskill 200 participants over the next two years.
Funded by the federal government’s Cyber Security Skills Partnership Innovation Fund, the program will see students spend one day a week studying for a Certificate IV in Cyber Security through either TAFE NSW or the Canberra Institute of Technology and gaining relevant Microsoft micro-credentials via Prodigy Learning.
Participants who already hold a Certificate III in Information Technology can apply for credit towards the Certificate IV in cyber security, Microsoft said.
Training provider MEGT will recruit, employ and support trainees for the duration of the program.
Credit: Supplied “We’re very excited to expand our MTP offering with AustCyber,” said Tim Allen, skills for employability lead at Microsoft Australia and New Zealand.
“The Cyber Security MTP and virtual bootcamp will help more people kickstart their cyber security career and provide organisations access to the talent they need. This alternative pathway model has been tried and tested with great success. Microsoft’s foundation IT traineeship has produced more than 300 graduates since 2020 who have gone on to thrive in tech roles.
“Microsoft is committed to growing the size, quality and diversity of Australia’s IT and cyber security workforce. We look forward to welcoming the program’s first cohort of trainees later this year.”
The Cyber Security MTP will start in Sydney and Canberra on 28 August 2022, with Microsoft and AustCyber planning to roll out the program nationally by 2023.
AustCyber claimed that that Australia will need around 7,000 more cyber security professionals across all industries by 2024.
The Cyber Security MTP will equip graduates to work in high-demand roles such as cyber security analyst or engineer, the body claimed.
Program participants will have the opportunity to gain a permanent job with their host employer after graduating, fast-tracking their entry into the cyber security industry, it added.
Microsoft has also partnered with Avanade and EY, alongside the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), to deliver the Graduate Certificate in Business Consulting and Technology Implementation course, which is focused on bolstering the business technology skills of students.
The course also sets out to address the ongoing skills shortage in tech by providing the opportunity to become a consultant, either within Microsoft’s partner ecosystem or its client base.
