As the mom of a recent high school graduate, I silently cringe when a well-meaning person asks where he is heading to college. I’d prefer they asked a more open-ended question about what his plans for the future are. In fact, my son is headed to a state university for a four-year degree in the fall. But many other young adults his age have decided that college isn’t the best choice for them. It’s especially relevant in the age of the cybersecurity skills gap.
Many new skilling options, like certifications and digital badges for students, offer other paths to a well-paying job. Digital badges in education can help solve (or at least reduce) two problems at the same time. They open quicker (and less expensive) paths to careers and the skills gap.
The Increasing Skills Gap
When a business or agency doesn’t fill a position in this field, it can’t properly protect against threats. It may be easy to think that this is an organizational or industry problem. However, digital defense is a global issue everyone should have a hand in. After all, everyone feels the effects in one way or another.
Attacks can hurt vendors, delay mail and even interfere with filling our cars up with gas. With the high cost of breaches, such as victims of the SolarWinds attack reporting an average impact of $12 million, companies typically absorb the costs by raising prices. That affects all businesses and consumers.
Demand for skilled workers in this field is much higher than the number of qualified job applicants. collar digital badges skilling students reduce skills
