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Cyber attacks cost the world about USD 6 Tn annually by 2021. Yet, hiring cybersecurity talent tends to be an afterthought.
Online threats and attacks have evolved over the years. Organizations must always be on guard to ensure their data and operations are not compromised. As per research, 65% of organizations have a cybersecurity staff shortage.
It is suggested that the global cybersecurity workforce must grow by 145% to meet the demand for skilled talent, which is a workforce planning opportunity.
Cyber security must encompass a wide range of areas, including cloud security, OT security, data science and analytics, security architecture and engineering, and attack simulation. 55% of survey respondents indicated that the world’s organizations need ongoing cybersecurity training to keep up with IT and cybersecurity demands.
There must be moves to professionalize cyber security and formalize qualifications and career paths. Workforce planning must involve a continuous upskilling and reskilling of employees.
Stay Relevant with Upskilling, and Stay Ahead with Reskilling
The best method to upskill or reskill employees on cybersecurity depends on an organization’s structure and training requirements.
- Formal training – Workforce planning can authorize a training provider to cover skills lag and prepare a team of certified professionals. Your organization can be efficient and productive if the training provider can tailor the solution to your specific requirement.
- Online instructor-led training – Virtual instructor-led training can replace classroom training. If workforce planning uses the latest technologies with hands-on lab, it could save time and travel costs.
- eLearning – If workforce planning cannot accommodate month-long programs, organizations can use eLearning to enable self-paced online learning. Employees can acquire a new skill gradually and at times convenient to them.
- Peer learning and mentoring – Knowledge-sharing must be part of the organization’s culture with employee-led workshops. It can include peer-to-peer training sessions that develop employees’ skills while building a learning culture fostering strong professional relationships.
- Webinars and online events – Organizations could help employees find online events and webinars to encourage them to update their knowledge and enhance their skill sets.
Workforce planning must encompass a comprehensive and customized skill development plan with the above methods focusing on multiple levels of cyber defense, system administration, incident response, etc., and support an inclusive workforce of minorities and women.
The Effect of Reskilling and Upskilling
Upskilling is proven to enhance team productivity and is essential when workforce improvement is needed. Training can be adjusted to the most relevant skills needed or modified to cover the necessary certification schemes.
On the other hand, reskilling is inevitable for workforce planning due to its potential for improvement. Reskilling can address employee shortages, strengthen core values within an organization, boost employee morale, help them perform efficiently.
The modern workforce must be adaptable and flexible as the talent war intensifies. They must use new training models and approaches that include on-the-job training and opportunities that support workers to upgrade their skills. It is key to invest in digital talent platforms that foster fluidity and match workers and their skills with opportunities within the enterprise.
Draup’s talent intelligence platform understands the invaluableness of reskilling and upskilling, enabling workforce planning teams to make employee training programs continuous and unavoidable. Its Reskilling Navigator allows employees assess and address their reskilling dimensions based on their personality traits, technology, soft skills, adjacent skills, and employee information.
With male cybersecurity professionals more likely to be twice as female, companies must make the workforce more inclusive. Draup’s Diversity Navigator identifies minorities on the metrics of DRQ (Digitally Replaceable Quotient), diversity, supply & demand growth, and talent cost, and accordingly reskill them with in-demand cybersecurity skills.
