The new program is aimed at women, LGBTQIA+ people, PCD, blacks and people over 50, who will also be able to participate in mentoring for the development of soft skills.
Microsoft, in partnership with WOMCY, Latam Women in Cybersecurity launches the “WOMCY – Microsoft Cybersecurity Education & Certification Program”, which will offer free training and certification in SC-900: Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals. In addition to fighting the skilled workforce gap in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. The project aims to expand diversity in the area of cybersecurity, so it is aimed exclusively at minorities in the technology market, especially women. The course also aims to train black people, LGBTQIA+, PCD and over 50s, groups that are underrepresented in the IT market.
This initiative, in partnership with WOMCY, is part of a global campaign by Microsoft to develop cybersecurity skills, announced in October 2021. In March of that year, this campaign was expanded to 23 more countries, including Brazil. By 2025, we will have 3.5 million cybersecurity job openings globally, representing an increase of 350% over an eight-year period. The global cybersecurity workforce is woefully lacking in diversity. In countries where Microsoft has expanded the campaign, such as Brazil, on average, only 17% of the cybersecurity workforce are women.
“Leaving women out of the cybersecurity workforce means leaving out key talent and only undermines our ability to bridge the skills gap. It's not just about equality, there's a business case too: gender-diverse companies have better performance. We know that minority participation rates will not change overnight, but we believe in the power of intentionality to make change really happen. This partnership with WOMCY is in line with our mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more and is one of the many initiatives we have developed in favor of diversity and inclusion and the professional training of Brazilians, aiming to collaborate for growth sustainable economic development of our country”, said Lucia Rodrigues, Philanthropy leader at Microsoft Brazil.
O “WOMCY – Microsoft Cybersecurity Education & Certification Program” will cover the fundamentals of SCI (security, compliance and identity) in Microsoft related and cloud-based services. Participants will also be able to apply for certification SC900: Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals. The course and certification will be online and free, with evening and Saturday sessions. Students will also be offered mentoring sessions to develop soft skills, lectures for curriculum development, LinkedIn profile and preparation for job interviews.
“We at WOMCY, Latam Women in Cybersecurity, are honored by the trust placed by Microsoft in our work. Being able to command a program that will allow us to reach a target of 1500 women, blacks, LGBTQIA+ people, over 50 years old and PCDs elevates us to a level of diversity promoters, far beyond our very important mission with women in our segment. We want to welcome all these people with training and certification in security, compliance and identity management concepts, but we also want to be able to provide career and technical mentoring sessions. Above any other objective, we hope that this program will contribute to society, providing career opportunities for participants, in addition to minimizing the workforce gap that we experience in our sector”, said Andréa Thomé, WOMCY Brazil leader.
“The “WOMCY – Microsoft Cybersecurity Education & Certification Program” will provide free cybersecurity training and certification while promoting diversity. It is a great opportunity for the professional development of people who are starting their careers or even already working in the IT area and want to improve in cybersecurity. Focused on the fundamentals of security, compliance and identity in Microsoft cloud services, the program will feature virtual classes with instructors, Microsoft self-study material in Portuguese and On-call Doubt sessions, in addition to technical lectures and sessions to develop soft skills, everything so that students can be super well prepared for certification and for the job market, which today is so lacking in professionals in the area”, said Denise Menoncello, WOMCY Brazil deputy leader and Project Manager.
The training program is designed for cybersecurity and IT professionals with little or a lot of experience in the industry and who are interested in developing Microsoft's security, compliance and identity functionality and concepts. Interested parties must complete the registration form between the months of July and August. Classes will be in the evening and on Saturdays from September 2022 to February 2023. The certification period will be from March to June 2023.
About WOMCY
WOMCY is a women's non-profit organization focused on cybersecurity development in Latin America. We work to bridge the knowledge gap and increase opportunities for women in the cybersecurity industry.
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