East Midlands Cyber Security Cluster will help to lead a groundbreaking project to close the regional cyber skills gap.

CyberSprint: Fast Track to the Future has been awarded £76,000 of Innovate UK investment.

The funding will be used to create a resilient workforce to protect businesses and communities against online threats.

CyberSprint will redefine how cyber security training is delivered, moving it from traditional IT to reskilling professionals in sectors ranging from law to logistics, creative industries to construction.

It will also see cybersecurity embedded in the curriculum for 93 regional schools and colleges – helping students gain vital foundational knowledge to keep them safe online.

De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) will lead the project, working in collaboration with an alliance of regional leaders in cybersecurity, education, and business.

Together, they will develop an inclusive and scalable training toolkit that serves diverse sectors and communities.

Dr Ismini Vasileiou, founder of the East Midlands Cybers Security Cluster and DMU associate professor is the architect of the project.

And she said CyberSprint has the potential to transform not only training but also to change the face of the industry.

It will do so by including bold ambitions to improve diversity within the cyber profession and better reflect the diversity of the East Midlands region, Dr Vasileiou said, adding: “CyberSprint is set to transform cybersecurity training in the UK, fostering a workforce capable of meeting today’s digital challenges while providing opportunities for people from all walks of life to contribute to a more secure, cyber-resilient future.”

Dr Vasileiou said that traditional cybersecurity programmes often target individuals with technical backgrounds.

CyberSprint will bring a cross-sectoral approach, offering training to non-technical professionals working in fields such as law, psychology, finance and business.

The CyberSprint model ensures that a diverse range of participants acquire practical, industry-recognised cybersecurity skills that can be readily applied in the workplace. The project partners are:

• East Midlands Cyber Security Cluster
• De Montfort University
• Digital Planning Limited
• East Midlands Chamber
• Leicester and Leicestershire Business and Skills Partnership
• Leicestershire Careers Hub
• SASIG (Specialist Awareness Security Information Group), Barclays Eagle Labs
• Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISEC)
• Chartered Institute for IT (BCS).

Holly Porter, Managing Director, of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, said: “We are excited to be part of he CyberSprint initiative, which is an important step towards meeting the local cyber security needs in the East Midlands, and is a programme that has nationwide potential.

“It is driven by a network covering education, industry and academia and will equip people with the industry-recognised skills needed in the digital economy.

“What’s more it draws from the diverse range of talent available across the region to ensure there will be a plentiful supply of skilled cyber security professionals in the future.”

CyberSprint will work with Leicester Careers Hub’s Digital Accelerator Programme to integrate cybersecurity learning into the curriculum for 93 schools and colleges across the East Midlands.

For adults, the Leicester and Leicestershire Business and Skills Partnership will deliver cybersecurity bootcamps and targeted training for career changers and working professionals.

The project’s commitment to diversity and digital inclusion aims to reach disadvantaged communities, creating entry points for those who might otherwise be excluded from cybersecurity careers.