Latest news with #talentgap
Forbes
22-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Building The Future Of Cybersecurity—One Student At A Time
A cybersecurity intern represents the future of digital defense—growing real-world skills through ... More year-round, paid experience that helps close the talent gap from the inside out. Cybersecurity is a discipline built on trust, precision, and adaptability. As threats evolve, so must the people tasked with defending our systems and data. Yet for all the investment in tools and platforms, one area often remains underdeveloped: the human side of security. Developing strong, skilled professionals isn't just a workforce issue—it's a business imperative. Effective cybersecurity depends on people who understand your environment, your priorities, and your risk tolerance. But growing that kind of talent doesn't happen overnight, and it doesn't happen in a vacuum. It takes strategy, patience, and often, a shift in mindset. That's where a reimagined approach to internships comes into play. As Den Jones, founder and CEO of 909Cyber, puts it, 'When you onboard an employee, it's a couple of months ramp-up. I'd rather pay 35 bucks an hour to ramp them up than 200 bucks an hour.' Traditional internship programs follow a predictable, often inefficient format: a few weeks in the summer, a steep learning curve, and a handshake goodbye just when the intern is hitting their stride. What Jones and others in the space are pushing for is a fundamental shift—treat interns as part-time employees throughout the year. This allows students to grow with the company and hit the ground running during peak periods. It's a model born out of necessity and refined through experience. At Adobe, where Jones once led a robust internship program, he saw firsthand how effective this approach could be. Rather than saying goodbye at the end of summer, he'd invite standout interns to stay on part-time during the school year. That continuity paid off. 'Our hypothesis is: twist this round a bit. You grab a student at any time of the year, then they ramp up in summer, scale back to part-time during the semester, and ramp up again in winter,' Jones explains. 'That rhythm makes them far more valuable and reduces the cost and time of onboarding.' Jones is now putting that philosophy into practice with Intern Connect, a platform from 909Cyber designed to connect employers with valuable cybersecurity interns across the U.S. It's built to make internships easier, more flexible, and more aligned with the real-world needs of both students and businesses. Students benefit by gaining meaningful, paid experience in their field—often with better pay and more flexibility than typical part-time jobs. For employers, it's a cost-effective way to build a pipeline of junior talent who can evolve into full-time contributors. This isn't hypothetical. At a previous startup, Jones had interns conduct research and draft an article on AI and security. 'These are projects you might not have time for,' he said, 'but the interns did the legwork, and the content had real impact.' In other cases, he leveraged interns to cover overnight SOC shifts that full-time analysts didn't want. Hiring is expensive—and risky. Recruiters screen hundreds of candidates. Teams run through multiple rounds of interviews. Onboarding eats up weeks. And after all that, the new hire might still be a poor fit. Intern Connect flips that dynamic. With students working part-time and being paid less during onboarding, the stakes are lower—and the upside is higher. Plus, companies can evaluate talent in real time, with real projects, and decide whether to extend full-time offers based on actual performance—not just résumés and interviews. That makes internships a powerful filtering mechanism in a high-stakes hiring market. Jones isn't stopping at matching employers and students. He envisions a future where Intern Connect becomes a talent ecosystem—integrated with bootcamps, colleges, student chapters, and corporate partners. Discussions are already underway with recruiters, universities, and training platforms to build out this vision. There are even plans to offer short bootcamps to accelerate onboarding and help students ramp up faster. For employers, the cost to join the platform is minimal—$10 a month per user or $100 per year. That low price point reflects a key belief: building the next generation of cybersecurity professionals shouldn't break the budget. The cybersecurity industry doesn't have the luxury of waiting for perfect candidates. It needs to build them. And platforms like Intern Connect provide the tools to do just that. Instead of throwing money at job boards and crossing fingers, companies can nurture talent in-house, grow loyalty, and reduce hiring risk. As the demand for cyber skills continues to surge, the most resilient organizations will be those that learn to invest in the future—one intern at a time.
National Post
07-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
Shortage of Project Talent Endangers Global Growth According to Global Project Management Talent Gap Report
Article content Article content Article content PHILADELPHIA — 30 million new project professionals are needed to meet global demand by 2035, according to the new Global Project Management Talent Gap report from Project Management Institute (PMI). As the world accelerates into an era defined by economic uncertainty, disruption, and digital transformation, it is clear that project professionals are more essential than ever. Article content There are almost 40 million project professionals in the global workforce today. To put this in perspective, the global workforce includes approximately 25 million software developers and around 30 million nurses underscoring the scale and significance of the project management profession. But projected demand is rising sharply – particularly in fast-growing regions like South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and China, where major infrastructure projects, industrial expansion, and digital transformation are creating unprecedented needs for skilled talent. Article content 'Our world is in flux: economically, politically, environmentally,' stated Pierre Le Manh, PMP, President and CEO of PMI. 'The need for change is everywhere. And change only happens through successful projects. That makes this a defining moment for project professionals. We don't just need millions more of them, we need them ready to lead, to deliver, to turn bold ideas into real and sustainable outcomes. The talent gap in our profession isn't just a workforce issue. It's a barrier to progress for business and for the future of the world.' Article content This projection aligns with the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025, which identifies project managers as a key role driving net employment growth through 2030 and ranked it as the 12th fastest-growing job role globally. As an essential role in business transformation across regions and industries, project managers are critical to navigating the rapidly evolving global workforce landscape. Article content Up to 29.8 million more project professionals will be needed by 2035 to meet global demand. Fastest growth regions include South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and China—fueled by infrastructure investment and digital innovation. Sectors under pressure include construction, manufacturing, IT services, and healthcare—with projected demand for project professionals increasing by as high as 66%. Mature economies, including North America and Europe, face stalled supply of project professionals due to aging populations and shifting labor force trends. The opportunity: Reskilling, upskilling, and opening new career pathways can help close the gap and elevate the profession globally. Article content The report finds that in high-growth markets, transformation is being driven by urgent needs, ranging from infrastructure expansion to rapid digitalization. Project talent is what makes that transformation possible, enabling organizations to turn complex ambitions into tangible outcomes. In contrast, mature economies face growing challenges as experienced project professionals retire, and delivery models can't keep pace with evolving business needs. Those who invest in modern project talent today will have a competitive edge tomorrow. Article content The future is built on projects, but the world faces a critical shortage: skilled project professionals. With demand accelerating across all regions and sectors, project professionals who take ownership beyond delivery, connecting projects to business value and long-term impact, will be indispensable partners to the C-suite and central to the world's most critical transformations. Article content Report Methodology: The current state was calculated by identifying 172 project-related job titles across 180+ countries using LinkedIn Talent Insights data and adjusted for uneven platform adoption. Article content PMI is the leading authority in project management, dedicated to guiding the way to project success. Since 1969, PMI has shone a light on the power of project management and the people behind the projects. With a global community, gold-standard professional certifications, and career-long learning opportunities, PMI empowers current and aspiring project professionals, as well as organizations, with knowledge and resources to lead effectively and create an impact in the communities they serve. Join PMI in elevating our world – one project at a time. Connect with us at on Instagram @pmi_org, and on TikTok @PMInstitute. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
