Ten reasons to hire a Cyber Security Degree Apprentice for your business

With the government announcing new incentive payments of up to £3,000 for every apprentice hired, now is the perfect opportunity to hire a Cyber Security Degree Apprentice with Gloucestershire College.

In the last year alone, almost half of businesses (46%) and a quarter of charities (26%) report having cyber security breaches or attacks, the most common types being phishing attacks, impersonation, viruses, spyware and malware according to the government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2020.

So the real question is can you afford not to?

Out of date software, targeted attacks, malware and human error are just some of the reasons for a breach, and it is an expectation that businesses do everything they can to reduce their ongoing risk. Aside from the inconvenience, the costs can be crippling too including loss of productivity, financial recovery costs, loss of intellectual property, loss of reputation and fines. The average cost of a cyber-attack for a business in the UK is £313,650 according to the insurer Hiscox, yet the study also found that almost 75% of businesses are classed as “novices” when it comes to cyber readiness.

One of the simplest and most effective ways to improve your cyber security is to create a job role that is dedicated to managing it. This goes beyond the traditional IT roles which focus on networking, hardware and software, creating a role which focuses on both the systems and the processes relating specifically to cyber breach prevention.

Here’s 10 reasons why a Cyber Degree Apprentice would be great for your business…

1. We have candidates ready to join your business now:

Our Cyber Security Degree Apprenticeship starts every September, and we have talent prospective apprentices ready and waiting to join a business like yours. We have a strong candidate pool already so can send you the CVs of our pre-screened candidate straight away – no need to wait for recruitment.

If you want to know more or are considering a candidate, please get in touch with our Business Hub team by emailing: business.hub@gloscol.ac.uk 

2. They’ll be up to date and relevant:

As an Institute of Technology, everything from our facilities to the education our cyber apprentices receive is at the cutting edge. Gloucestershire College’s Cyber Degree Apprenticeship curriculum has been developed by world-leading experts, is being delivered by active lecturers who are still participating in industry, it includes the latest techniques, training and regulatory compliance, and is reinforced by on-the-job learning within your organisation. Apprentices will be continuously learning throughout the course, and will therefore keep up with the fast-paced changes of the industry, ready to protect your business.

3. There’s a cyber skills shortage. It’s easier and more affordable to ‘grow your own’ tech talent:

According to (ISC)2  - the world’s largest non-profit organisation of certified cyber security professionals – there are over three million cyber security jobs available globally and that figure is only rising.

The average global salary is near to $95,000 for someone with several years’ experience and it’s anticipated that less than 40% of jobs will be filled successfully this year. Add to that the opening of Cyber Central in Cheltenham and the demand for cyber security experts locally is only going to grow!

Appointing at a grass roots level provides a viable option, combining degree-level learning with on-the-job training, an affordable salary and a minimum of three and half years with your business, during which your apprentice assimilates to the organisation’s culture.

4. Cyber security is not a one-hit-wonder:

Often businesses adopt a process where they annually review and update policies and procedures, assuming of course that they update them at all.

We all start with good intentions, but unless you have a dedicated resource within the organisation, your risk increases over time.

Each time you use a new tool to support team productivity, forget to update your computer, add a new staff member or change your internal processes you are increasing your risk. Having a dedicated resource within your team helps to fill these gaps and reduce your workplace risk.

5. It bridges the gap between where you are now, and where you need to be:

The whole purpose of a cyber security specialist is to bridge the gap between where your cyber security is now within the organisation, and the risk that cyber-attacks pose.

While the financial reasoning is solid for appointing a cyber security expert, the high salary costs often make the job roles an unappetising or even impossible option for businesses. An apprentice provides a middle ground, providing you with dedicated cyber defence resources, at a fraction of the cost.

6. The solution is tailored to your business practices:

Every business is different. You have different people, different markets, different processes and practices, and a different blend of hardware and software systems.

Many consider the default cyber security position to be appointing an external provider or consultant, but they’ll never understand your business practices as well as you do.

Assimilating an individual into your culture and your business, who can then understand and identify your specific weaknesses, makes your cyber security defences much more likely to succeed.

7. It’s quicker to employ an apprentice:

Whenever a new person joins your team, you’ve likely had to wait a few months for them to complete their notice period in a previous role, and you’re never sure if they are going to fit in until they arrive. Hiring an apprentice can significantly shorten the recruitment to work ratio, and you also have the opportunity to influence and mould your apprentice to your workplace in a way that you can’t with an established expert. This makes it a lower-risk option when seeking a potential employee. 

8. Better retention: 90% of apprentices stay on with their employer:

As well as sticking with you for a minimum of three and a half years while they qualify, on average, 90% of apprentices opt to stay with their existing employer once they graduate according to the National Apprenticeship Service. This significantly increases your return-on-investment compared with a qualified employee, particularly when compared with staff turnover of fully-qualified employees. On average, 31% of cyber security employees will change jobs each year, and the average role will last no more than two years according to the government cyber security skills in the UK labour market 2020 report.

9. They’ll have credible qualifications, delivered by Gloucestershire College and accredited by the University of the West of England:

The course is being delivered by experts at the college, using a state of the art curriculum and facilities, and it’s also accredited by the University of the West of England, who in turn have courses accredited by the National Cyber Security Centre. This helps make having an apprentice a really appealing option, particularly as they’ll have access to a pool of experts who can help, support and advise on your real-life business challenges.

10. Cyber Degree Apprentices can help protect your business from threats

Your business needs to be agile and adaptable, and the best way to achieve this is by using technology in a safe, secure way. Apprentices will be equipped with the latest industry skills and knowledge, ready to support and protect your business for the future.

Hire a Cyber Security Degree Apprentice this September

Our Cyber Security Degree Apprenticeship is starting a new cohort in September. We keep the class sizes small (a maximum of 15), to ensure we maintain learning quality across the board. 

If you’re an employer looking to recruit or upskill existing members of staff, get in touch with our Business Hub team today via: business.hub@gloscol.ac.uk or call: 01452 563400

If you are looking to become a cyber degree apprentice, you can apply now online here.