Girls from Paisley Grammar School have been finding out how to build a career in cybersecurity at a national conference.
Pupils joined cyber professionals, employers, educators and students at the third See It Be It conference on Friday 2 October. Organised by Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland, the event aims to encourage more young women to consider a career in the sector.
At Paisley Grammar, the coding club has proved particularly popular with girls, although the school’s 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 the 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 show 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, and employers stressed curiosity, communication, relationship building, adaptability and resilience alongside technical skills.
Jude McCorry, chief executive of Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland, said: “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. 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.”
Keynote speaker Andrew Elliot highlighted the recent launch of the TechFirst Girls Competition. Professionals were encouraged to support young people by speaking at schools, offering work experience, attending careers events and making introductions in the sector.