Kordia New Zealand today announced it has launched a new scholarship programme in partnership with Unitec Institute of Technology.
Kordia New Zealand today announced it has launched a new scholarship programme in partnership with Unitec Institute of Technology, designed to develop and foster New Zealand’s up-and-coming cyber security talent.
The Kordia & Unitec Cyber Excellence Scholarship Programme will run over a three-year period from 2018-2020, providing financial support and practical work experience for two third-year students studying for a Bachelor of Computing Systems at Unitec.
Each student will receive $5,000 to support their studies in their third and final year. They will also have the opportunity to gain hands-on work experience alongside the experts at Aura Information Security – the specialist cyber security division of Kordia New Zealand – in keeping with Bachelor of Computing Systems course requirements.
Peter Bailey, General Manager at Aura Information Security, says he hopes the introduction of the scholarships in partnership with Unitec will not only encourage students to consider cyber security as a career path; but also produce the next generation of cyber security superstars.
“Cyber security is a rapidly growing industry – and with this growth there is a constant need for skilled employees. Through these scholarships we hope to encourage more people to consider cyber security as a career path and we look forward to having Unitec alumni joining our team of experts over the coming years,” says Mr. Bailey.
“Kordia and Aura Information Security are invested in growing New Zealand’s cyber security sector. Supporting the next wave of industry talent is just one way we can strive to do so,” adds Mr. Bailey.
At present, International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts the global cyber security market will be worth $101.6 billion by 20201. However, a Frost & Sullivan (ISC)2 Global Information Security Workforce study shows that 1.8 million more cyber security professionals will be needed to accommodate the global shortfall by 2022.
“The new scholarships will provide our Bachelor of Computing Systems students with a unique opportunity to put their knowledge into practice and prepare them for the workforce,” says Murray Bain, Dean of Business & Enterprise and High Technology at Unitec.
“Cyber security is a critical and fast-growing industry where real-world experience is essential,” Mr. Bain notes.
In addition to the scholarship programme, Kordia and Aura are in discussions with Unitec’s Centre of Computational Intelligence for Cyber Security (CCICS) about potential research collaborations.
