Building Canada’s cybersecurity talent: BCIT partners with EC-Council Canada and Circadence

In response to the global cybersecurity talent shortage, the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) has partnered with EC-Council Canada and Circadence to develop a strong and resilient workforce equipped to solve cybersecurity challenges.

“According to the report from Deloitte and Toronto Financial Services Alliances, Canadian executives view the cybersecurity talent shortage as one of the top five challenges to managing cybersecurity within their organization. A key reason for the skill shortage is the lack of defined career paths in cybersecurity and lack of learning and development opportunities,” said Danish Arshad, Executive Director, EC-Council North America. “EC-Council Canada’s partnership with BCIT will provide a platform to offer military grade cybersecurity training, tools, and skills to Canadians to help bridge that cyber skill deficit in Canada.”

EC-Council is the world’s largest cybersecurity technical certification body while Circadence is experienced in delivering cyber training and education across diverse sectors making for a unique partnership that allows BCIT to collaborate with leading industry experts in developing an applied and cutting-edge cybersecurity curriculum to prepare students for a career in the industry.

This partnership will enable BCIT students to access to cybersecurity resources and networking opportunities such as:

• Discounted EC-Council learning resources and automatic certification exam eligibility.
• Free registration to the world’s first global hacking competition CyberLympics and the Hacker Halted Cybersecurity Conference.
• Access to the EC-Council global community of cybersecurity professionals and learners.
• Access to Circadence cyber-ranges – a hands-on cyber learning environment that simulates on-the-job experience.

“Employers know that cyber training is only effective if employees are able to apply their skills learned and acquired to real-world scenarios. This partnership with Circadence and EC-Council Canada creates the applied learning environment for students to learn from industry experts and to begin solving real-world problems before they graduate,” said Steve Wilson, Director, BCIT Centre for Digital Transformation. “These applied, industry-focused training opportunities are critical to building Canada’s cybersecurity talent.”

“Faced with a global cyber security talent shortage and an influx of breaches that cause millions of dollars in damages, businesses are changing how they approach cyber security learning and are looking to workforce development partners within academia to stay ahead of imminent threats,” said Laurie Webb, Director, Global Partnerships, Circadence. “The strategic alliance between Circadence and BCIT demonstrates a partnership between industry leaders that transcends international borders to address the global cyber security workforce challenges and develop highly skilled professionals who can combat malicious attackers to keep businesses safe.”

Cybercrime Magazine reports the cost of cybercrime to the world will reach $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. While a cyberattack has the potential to disable city economies or entire countries, there remains a global shortage of qualified cybersecurity personnel to combat cybercrime and other cybersecurity issues. According to the recent Information Communications Technology Council of Canada report, approximately 50,000 cybersecurity practitioners and support staff will be needed by 2023.

As a leader in delivering future-proof, applied education through collaboration with industry, BCIT equips graduates with skills and knowledge needed to support a spectrum of cybersecurity roles across industries. BCIT offers a number of programs – from Computing to Forensics, and more – to pave the path for an in-demand and dynamic career in the field of cybersecurity. Explore cybersecurity-related programs available at BCIT, including options from Part-time Studies.

About British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)

Empowering people. Shaping BC. Inspiring global progress.

For more than 50 years, the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) has been training the experts, innovators, and professionals who shape our economy – across BC and around the world. With five campuses and over 50,000 students enrolled each year, BCIT is one of BC’s largest post-secondary institutes. Through its unique applied education model, students gain the technical skills, real-world experience, and problem-solving ability needed to embrace complexity and to lead innovation in a rapidly changing workforce. The BCIT curriculum is developed through close consultation with industry and delivered by instructors who have direct, hands-on experience in their fields.

About Circadence

Circadence is dedicated to cyber training and education. Powered by a culture of innovation and the continuously evolving cyber landscape, Circadence provides virtual cyber range solutions to help students and seasoned cybersecurity professionals embrace a new way to train and develop their cyber security skills and competencies. Through the use of gamification and active hands-on cyber learning, students and infosec professionals can enjoy skill acquisition and maturation that is relevant to specific industry needs. Circadence is committed to immersive learning so institutions, organizations, and students can make continuous cyber security learning a habitual part of their learning and readiness objectives.

About EC-Council

EC-Council is the world’s largest cybersecurity technical certification body. They offer a wide array of certifications for every stage of a cybersecurity practitioner’s career path in more than 145 countries. Probably best-known for their certification in the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) with its sophisticated and specific 21 modules, certification holders learn the fundamentals of penetration testing that any professional would need to know to step into the field of Cybersecurity. They also offer many other certifications including the Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator (C|HFI) and their Certified Penetration Tester (CPENT).