On Thursday, the non-profit Qufaro announced the development of The National College of Cybersecurity. The facilities of the cyber security school will be at Bletchley Park, the WWII complex where Alan Turing broke the Enigma code.
Qufaro is an innovative organization formed by experts in the cyber security industry, including leaders and specialists from the National Museum of Computing, Raytheon Co., and BT Security.
The National College of Cybersecurity is scheduled to open in 2018 with an estimated 100 students. The Qufaro group intends to bring new courses to the U.K. aimed at young people who will comprise the next generation of cyber security experts at Bletchley Park. The institution will be tuition free.
What will The National College of Cybersecurity teach?
The National College of Cybersecurity will offer a curriculum focused primarily on its intended specialty. An estimated 40% of the study plan will comprise real cyber security subjects.
The top U.K. school will complement its education experience with STEM classes in math, physics, and computing. Teachers at the new cybersecurity college will also teach economics and other subjects pertaining new technology threats.
The National College of Cybersecurity won’t stop at traditional educational, as it will also offer online courses for both teachers and students. Qufaro expects to register approximately 300 applicants for its online programs.
Who can apply for The National College of Cybersecurity?
The new cyber security institution aims at enrolling students between 16 to 19 years old. The younger, the better, Qufaro claims, as these tech-savvy young men and women grew up in an entirely digital era.
The Chair of Qufaro Alastair MacWillson talked to The Guardian about the prospect students for The National College of Cybersecurity. The executive said they expect to fill an industry void of 700,000 experts in the U.K.
“There is some real talent out there, people with extraordinary capabilities in this area, and it’s usually youngsters that are good at gaming theory and hacking systems,” MacWillson said.
He further added that the college would be open to “gifted and talented” people who can “solve logic problems” as a second nature. Approximately 100 spots will be available for applicants in 2018.
The National College of Cybersecurity, however, has a 500 student capacity. In the future, the school could host even more apprentices in information security.
The National College of Cybersecurity will help preserve Bletchley Park
The Bletchley Park complex will continue to be part of the U.K.’s history and heritage with the development and opening of The National College of Cybersecurity.
The government phased out the Bletchley Park operations decades ago, reassigning its intelligence tasks to the GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters). The empty buildings were almost demolished in the 90s.
However, activists and former wartime workers of Bletchley Park rallied to avoid the iconic site’s destruction. Now, The National College of Cybersecurity will bring back some life and purpose to the research complex.
Furthermore, Qufaro along with the Bletchley Park Trust organization plan to launch a £50 million program in 2017 to invest in cyber innovation and future on-site project developments.
Source: The Guardian
