Record number of teenagers sign up to develop cyber skills

The NCSC has said that a record number of teenagers seized the opportunity to develop cyber security skills this summer by joining virtual and in-person courses.

New figures revealed that more than 1,850 teenagers took part in NCSC’s popular CyberFirst summer courses, surpassing the record participation set last year when courses moved online for the first time.

CyberFirst aims to encourage young people to pursue their interest in cyber security and improve the diversity in the industry, as just 16 per cent of the UK’s cyber sector workforce are women and 17 per cent are from ethnic minority backgrounds.

This year, pupils aged 14 to 17 had the choice of learning about cyber security virtually or in person at courses held in Warwickshire, where they covered topics including digital forensics, ethical hacking and cryptography. Of this year’s intake 43 per cent were girls, while pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds secured nearly half (47 per cent) of places.

Every year, the summer courses are offered at three levels: CyberFirst Defenders (for 14–15-years-olds), CyberFirst Futures (15–16), CyberFirst Advanced (16–17).

Chris Ensor, NCSC Deputy Director for Cyber Growth, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many young people engaging with cyber security and developing the skills that will help them thrive in the industry. Our summer courses provide fun, hands-on opportunities to learn about defending our digital world and we hope they will be inspired to pursue their interests further. It’s vital the next generation of cyber experts is diverse as well as skilled, and through CyberFirst we are committed to making the industry a more accessible and inclusive place for all.”

A total of 1,866 pupils secured places on the courses this year. The number of applications this year was also record-breaking, increasing from 3,909 in 2020 to 4,384.