Government funds new plan to stop cyber skills crisis

November 9, 2020
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Whilst the country grapples with the issue of Covid recovery, the UK economy is struggling with another challenge: the vast and growing cyber security skills gap.

Enter Capslock: an innovative online learning academy who are promising to tackle this latter challenge head-on. They will reskill members of the UK workforce so they can start a high-paying career in cyber security. Capslock will do this in just 16 weeks, and with no upfront costs.

This promise has just been supercharged by their successful acquisition of substantial funding through the Sustainable Innovation Fund with Innovate UK. Innovate UK is investing up to £191 million over the next two years to boost the UK economy after Covid-19.

For the UK government, addressing the digital skills gap is a top priority. Capslock was accepted into the government-backed LORCA cyber security accelerator earlier this year, and the Innovate UK funding they have received will go towards piloting their brand-new educational model, suitable for UK adults.

“Inject brand new cyber talent into the UK workforce, in an efficient, inclusive, and accessible way.”

Speaking about their successful funding, Capslock Co-founder Dr. Andrea Cullen said:

“In 2021, we’ll be investing the equivalent of over £1.5m to re-skill 200 adults in cyber. Re-skilling will be crucial to getting the economy back on its feet after the pandemic. This is Capslock’s sole purpose: to inject brand new cyber talent into the UK workforce, in an efficient, inclusive, and accessible way.

Our learners receive world-class education, and we designed a curriculum to get them hired into cyber security roles. We deliver the course online and our learners have the chance to gain employer-approved cyber qualifications, making them workplace-ready in just 16 weeks.

Our model uses Income Share Agreements, meaning our learners don’t pay a penny until they’re in a high-earning job. It also means their new employer doesn’t pay at all. We’re an education institution who invests in the learner, not the other way around.”

Innovate UK Executive Chair Dr Ian Campbell said:

“In these difficult times, we have seen the best of British business innovation. Capslock, along with every initiative Innovate UK has supported through this fund, is an important step forward in driving sustainable economic development”.

About Capslock

Our aim is to re-skill adult learners and kick-start their cyber security careers in just 4 months. We provide career-changing education, delivered live online by industry professionals, via a curriculum built around in-demand job roles and employer needs. Additionally, our model uses income share agreements, meaning there are no upfront costs for learners. So, you won’t pay a penny until you land a high-paying job. In 2021, we will be re-skilling 200 adults in cyber security, thus helping to bridge the UK’s urgent skills gap.

Applications are open now at https://enrol.capslock.ac/registration/registration/registration/, and courses will start in February 2021.

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