Global tech giant partners with government on CyberFirst programme to boost skills and diversity, and encourage more young people into careers in cyber
IBM is working with the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to provide the online platform for the 2025 CyberFirst Girls competition.
Photo by Kenny Eliason / Unsplash
As we’ve reported before, this flagship cyber security programme is open to girls between the ages of 12 and 13. They take part in a series of challenges from cryptography and networking to artificial intelligence which aim to improve their tech skills and encourage them to consider future careers in the sector.
More than 85,000 students from across the country have taken part in the CyberFirst Girls competition since it was launched in 2017.
The UK cyber security sector is currently worth £13.2bn – an increase of 12% since last year. But women account for just 17% of the workforce. Improving diversity in the sector is one of the government’s key priorities.
Average salaries in the sector currently exceed £56,000, with the top 20% of earners on salaries between £73,000 and £350,000. That’s linked to the demand for skilled workers, with 44% of UK businesses reporting skills gaps.
Feryal Clark MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for AI and Digital Government, says: ‘If we’re going to keep the UK safe from the threats we face online, then we need to build a diverse workforce which is reflective of every community in the country. By partnering with IBM to deliver the next edition of the CyberFirst Girls Competition, we’re driving forward our plans to do exactly that – building up the skills of young girls across the country and nurturing the next generation of UK cyber leaders.
‘The girls who will benefit from this support could even go on to represent the UK Cyber Team – the cream of the crop of British cyber talent who will fly the flag for us across the world – and I’ll be proudly cheering the team on today as they head to Dublin for their first international competition.’
Chris Ensor, Deputy Director for Cyber Growth at NCSC, adds: ‘Over the past decade, the CyberFirst Girls Competition has offered tens of thousands of young women a fun opportunity to test their cyber skills against real-world cyber problems. I’m delighted that a new partnership across government and the private sector will be taking forward the delivery of this vital initiative which is inspiring the next generation of cyber security professionals. We need a cyber industry which reflects our diverse society and encourages the most talented individuals to keep our digital lives secure.’
Mark Hughes, Global Managing Partner for Cyber Security at IBM, says: ‘IBM is delighted to build upon our partnership with the National Cyber Security Centre by supporting the CyberFirst Girls competition with DSIT. Our commitment to fostering diversity in cybersecurity remains unwavering, as highlighted in our ‘Diversity & Inclusion in Cybersecurity’ initiative. This new collaboration is a significant step towards nurturing the next generation of cyber leaders, ensuring a more inclusive and robust industry. We are confident that this partnership will make a substantial impact in encouraging more young girls to pursue rewarding careers in cybersecurity.’
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