Western Australia’s TAFE colleges are leading the national roll out of a new cyber security training course aimed at stamping out cyber threats to WA organisations and government agencies.
In a national first, South Metropolitan TAFE (SM TAFE) today launched the inaugural delivery of the Australian Signals Directorate’s (ASD’s) post-pilot Essential Eight Assessment Course at its Murdoch campus. North Metropolitan TAFE (NM TAFE) will deliver the course at its Perth campus from 1 September.
To bolster online security of government and critical infrastructure organisations, cyber security experts from a range of WA Government departments are the first to undertake the course since it was piloted in Canberra in July 2023.
The 18-hour course was designed and developed by ASD’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), in partnership with TAFEcyber. SM TAFE chairs TAFEcyber, a consortium of 11 Australian TAFE providers who will deliver the training nationally.
The course trains cyber security professionals working from large organisations and government agencies to consistently assess their organisation’s security posture against eight baseline mitigation strategies, which ASD considers essential for cyber security, and when using ASD’s Essential Eight Maturity Model.
All Federal and State agencies and critical infrastructure organisations are encouraged to implement the Essential Eight.
Cyber security is one of the world’s fastest growing industries and one of the most important issues facing businesses, governments and individuals today.
In addition to its commitment to the ongoing upskilling and protection of its agencies, the State Government, in collaboration with WA TAFE colleges, is supporting WA industry to meet the high demand for skilled cyber security professionals.
Cyber security professionals are needed in a range of sectors including finance; government and public services; military and defence; healthcare; media and telecommunications; mining and resources; and transport.
A range of free and low-fee cyber security full qualifications and skill sets are available through the State Government’s FREE IN ’23 program in partnership with the Commonwealth, and the Lower fees, local skills initiative.
Free and low fee courses range from the new Introduction to Cyber Security or Transition to Cyber Security skill sets to the Advanced Diploma of Information Technology (Cyber Security).
More information about other training opportunities including free and low fee courses and skill sets is at jobsandskills.wa.gov.au/skillsready or contact your local Jobs and Skills Centre on 13 64 64.
Training Minister Simone McGurk said, “As increased online activities and remote working practices increase security risks for individuals and businesses, it is essential that government agencies lead the way in ensuring the protection of data and information. I am thrilled to see TAFE WA leading the nation by being the first to offer the post-pilot Essential Eight Assessment Course training for the benefit of WA government and critical infrastructure organisations. Cyber security is a specialist area and ongoing training and education are crucial to keep up with the rapid evolution of cyber threats and to protect our society from constantly evolving attacks. WA TAFE colleges have a key role in the skilling and upskilling of workers for WA’s Information and Communications Technology sector, with free and low fee training available including a range of cyber security courses. I encourage WA individuals and businesses to contact their nearest TAFE college or Jobs and Skills Centre to learn more about the great training and career opportunities on offer in this crucially important area.”
