MOSCOW – The UK’s armed forces are struggling to recruit cybersecurity experts amid increasing competition from business and the growing importance of the cyber sector to the country’s offensive and defensive capabilities, Richard Holroyd, the managing director of defence and security at London-based business process outsourcing and professional services company Capita, has said, reported Sputnik.
“You’re saying to people with an interest in it, come and be a cyber specialist in the armed forces, but Raytheon is saying come and be a cyber specialist, BT are saying come and be a cyber specialist. So in those spaces, you’re competing… In a labour market with full employment it’s a tough, tough play,” Holroyd was quoted as saying by The Telegraph newspaper on Sunday.
The report said that Capita secured to meet only 80 per cent of its army recruitment target in 2023, with the most difficulties related to technical positions because “anything related to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is a highly competitive environment” and those skills are “tough”.
The United Kingdom has been facing a national shortage of cyber workers, with employers struggling to fill nearly four out of 10 relevant positions, according to the country’s government. In 2022, the demand for cybersecurity experts increased by a third, with over 160,000 cybersecurity jobs advertised, according to the report. – Bernama
