Girls from Paisley Grammar School have attended a national conference to learn about careers in cybersecurity and the different routes into the sector.
Pupils joined cyber professionals, employers, educators and students at the third See It Be It conference on Friday, 2nd October. Organised by Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland, the event aims to encourage more young women to consider a career in cybersecurity.
The school’s coding club has proved particularly popular with girls. However, its cyber club has so far struggled to generate the same level of interest, despite the crossover between the two.
Shona McAlpine, secondary computing science teacher at Paisley Grammar School, said: “Girls are already showing a real interest in coding and technology, but they don’t always realise that those skills can lead to a career in cyber. We want to make that connection for them. Activities like competitions, fun challenges and experiences like this conference shows pupils how creative, varied and accessible cyber security can be.”
One of the main messages pupils heard was that there is no single route into cybersecurity and no typical cyber professional.
Speakers shared career journeys spanning computer science, software engineering, the armed forces, recruitment and data analysis.
Employers highlighted the importance of curiosity, communication, relationship building, adaptability and resilience alongside technical expertise.
Jude McCorry, chief executive of Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland, said: “There is clearly no shortage of initial interest in technology among girls and young women. The challenge is making sure they can see where that interest could take them.
“Cybersecurity is much broader than many young people imagine. It needs technical specialists, but it also needs great communicators, problem-solvers and people who are simply curious about how things work.
“Bringing pupils together with people already working in the sector allows them to see those possibilities for themselves. If a young person leaves See It Be It thinking, ‘I didn’t know I could do that’, then we’ve started to break down one of the barriers holding our industry back.”
Pupils also heard about national efforts to encourage more girls to explore careers in technology.
Keynote speaker Andrew Elliot highlighted the recent launch of the TechFirst Girls Competition and spoke about the importance of sparking girls’ interest in cybersecurity.
Professionals were encouraged to support young people by speaking to schools, offering work experience, attending careers events, answering questions and making introductions to others working in the sector.
Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland hopes these connections will help more pupils discover the opportunities available and give young women the confidence to consider careers in cybersecurity.