Johannesburg Business School, Google launch cybersecurity initiative to support SMEs
The Johannesburg Business School at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) has partnered with Internet services firm Google to launch the Cybersecurity Seminars Programme, which aims to equip young talent with critical digital security skills to support local businesses.
The two-year programme, backed by a $500 000 grant from Google, will train 100 unemployed graduates and matriculants from underserved provinces and empower them to assist 125 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in strengthening their cyberdefences.
The programme combines education with real-world application. Participants will receive hands-on training in threat detection, risk management and data protection before working directly with SMEs to implement security improvements, UJ says.
In line with UJ's strategic priorities, the programme is designed to create long-term economic resilience.
“By training young professionals and deploying them within SMEs, we strengthen digital security at the community level,” says UJ Centre for Entrepreneurship acting director Carol Keshy.
“This initiative builds technical skills and safeguards small businesses, which are the backbone of our economy,” says UJ School of Consumer Intelligence and Information Systems director Professor Stella Bvuma.
In addition to upskilling participants, the initiative opens doors to employment in one of the fastest-growing sectors globally.
With more than 20 000 cybersecurity jobs unfilled in South Africa, graduates of the programme will be well-positioned to enter a high-demand field, she notes.
The UJ-Google Cybersecurity Seminars Programme is a proactive response to one of South Africa’s most pressing economic and technological challenges. By merging education, employment and enterprise support, the public-private partnership can drive meaningful change, she says.
“Investing in cybersecurity skills protects data, and secures livelihoods, businesses and the future of our digital economy.”
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