The cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, and with it, the demand for skilled professionals to protect organizations from ever-increasing threats. Recognizing the critical cybersecurity talent shortage, industry leaders Accenture and Immersive Labs have joined forces to launch the groundbreaking Accenture Global Career Program, powered by the “Cyber Million” initiative. This ambitious program aims to cultivate a million entry-level cybersecurity operations experts over the next decade, fundamentally changing how the industry sources and develops talent.
Addressing the Critical Cybersecurity Skills Gap
The global cybersecurity sector is grappling with a significant talent deficit. Current estimates indicate a staggering 3.4 million cybersecurity roles remain unfilled worldwide. This shortage is not just a number; it represents a tangible risk to businesses and organizations globally. The World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2023 report, in collaboration with Accenture, highlights this pressing issue, revealing that a majority of business and cyber leaders consider talent recruitment and retention a major hurdle in maintaining cyber resilience. Alarmingly, less than half of organizations believe they possess the necessary personnel and expertise to effectively respond to cyberattacks.
The Accenture Global Career Program through Cyber Million is strategically designed to directly address this gap. It seeks to break down traditional barriers to entry in the cybersecurity field, making opportunities accessible to a wider and more diverse pool of individuals. By emphasizing practical, real-world skills and aptitude over conventional qualifications like degrees and certifications, the program aims to revolutionize cybersecurity recruitment on a global scale.
A Skills-First Approach to Cybersecurity Careers
Unlike conventional hiring processes that heavily rely on resumes and formal education, the Accenture Global Career Program adopts a practical, evidence-based, and skills-centric methodology. Anyone over the age of 16 can register for the program and engage with a curated series of hands-on exercises and labs hosted on the Immersive Labs platform. These labs are meticulously designed to mirror the skill requirements of actual cybersecurity operations roles.
Candidates progress through the program at their own pace, completing labs that validate their abilities in real-world cybersecurity scenarios. Successful completion of these labs serves as a powerful demonstration of practical skills, enabling individuals to apply for entry-level cybersecurity positions with Accenture and other partner organizations participating in the Cyber Million program. This innovative approach ensures that talent is recognized and nurtured, regardless of background or prior experience.
Robert Boyce, Global Lead of Cyber Resilience at Accenture, emphasizes this point: “Cybersecurity talent is everywhere, and it can be developed if those eager to learn are given the opportunity, whether or not they come from a technical background. We upskill our own people using the Immersive Labs program approach and we’re proud to build on our relationship to help get more people excited about starting a career in cybersecurity. Solving the cyber talent crisis requires this kind of industry-wide collaboration and an innovative approach. We’re excited to take this important step toward building the future of cybersecurity talent globally.”
James Hadley, CEO and Founder of Immersive Labs, adds, “We founded Immersive Labs based on the idea that people from various backgrounds—both with or without a formal education—can excel in cybersecurity if given the right opportunities. Our Cyber Million program that we’re building in partnership with Accenture, will help organizations discover hidden talent, increase diversity across the workforce, and build resilience against cyberattacks, and we welcome other organizations to join us.”
Building on a Proven Foundation
The Accenture Global Career Program and Cyber Million initiative are not starting from scratch. They evolve from Immersive Labs’ successful Digital Cyber Academies (DCAs). For the past six years, DCAs have provided platform access to veterans, students, and neurodivergent individuals, demonstrating the effectiveness of skills-based training in cybersecurity. Thousands of DCA candidates have already been transitioned to the new Cyber Million platform, highlighting the program’s scalability and potential impact.
For organizations seeking to become employment partners and tap into this burgeoning talent pool, or for individuals eager to embark on a cybersecurity career through the Accenture Global Career Program, more information is available at https://www.immersivelabs.com/cybermillion.
About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company, helping the world’s leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services. With 738,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture delivers on the promise of technology and human ingenuity. Visit us at www.accenture.com.
Accenture Security
Accenture Security is a leading provider of end-to-end cybersecurity services, including strategy, protection, resilience and industry-specific cyber services. Visit us at accenture.com/security.
About Immersive Labs
Immersive Labs is the leader in people-centric cyber resilience, helping organizations continuously assess, build, and prove their cyber workforce resilience. Trusted by the world’s largest organizations and governments, Immersive Labs provides realistic simulations and hands-on cybersecurity labs to evaluate and enhance cyber capabilities.
