Welsh Water CTO Rob Norris’ childhood challenges fire a passion for giving young people the chance to thrive at Cyber College Cymru

This drive led to the creation of Cyber College Cymru, an innovative skills programme that makes cyber skills qualifications accessible for students studying at further education colleges in Wales.

His journey is a truly inspirational example of how, no matter your start in life, you can reach your goals if you stay focussed.

Back to the beginning

I spent the first 11 years of my life in council care in children’s homes in Cardiff and was then fostered by a family in Brynmawr. At 16, I had no educational qualifications, and with the mines and steelworks closing around me, I went back to school and completed five GCSEs to allow me to do a BTEC in computing part-time at Ebbw Vale College.

From there, I moved into Polytechnic and have spent over 35 years in IT, working for some of the largest IT companies in the world and visiting many countries.

Before joining Welsh Water, I have been responsible for building two cyber security businesses. As part of both roles, I investigated how organisations may have suffered a cyber breach.

Bridging the cyber security gap

A major telecoms brand was breached in 2015, and I found that several of the threat actors who carried this out, were no more than teenagers - one of whom was from South Wales. These attackers were working online, from their bedrooms, with likeminded people, in chat rooms and bragging about who or what business they could disrupt.

Researching this further, I realised that if we could harness the skills and interest of these young adults for good in companies, this would give us access to people who would typically be overlooked when recruiting for the next generation of cyber security professionals. We would normally either look at university graduates, or an already skilled workforce working in Cyber Security roles.

CC Cymru beginning…

When I worked in England, I noticed that the teens who had taken interest in cyber attacking tended to go to technical colleges, places that the more practical students went to as opposed to staying on in school and doing more academic studies like A-levels. I also found that some of the technical colleges were also starting to teach cyber security skills.

Being a passionate Welshman working in England but who visited Wales very frequently, I thought why not bring the idea back to Wales? There is so much digital and cyber talent right here in Wales. On one visit, I got in touch with some like-minded Welsh friends in the IT world, some of whom were either living and or working in Wales and struggling to hire for Cyber Security roles. Hence, Cyber College Cymru was born.

Thinking back to my youth and recognising that Blaenau Gwent had kids just like me growing up who, given the chance, could excel in computing and cyber. I contacted Nick Smith MP who was on board with the vision and linked us into the Coleg Gwent Ebbw Vale College.

Coleg Gwent Ebbw Vale College, along with Bridgend College, were the first two colleges to come onboard and join the Cyber College Cymru team in delivering the skills programme, and we now have over 100 Students currently taking part in Cyber College Cymru. It has been great to see some of the students now thriving in their careers in cyber security roles. For many students, they’re now working in roles that they’d previously never even heard of, such as “Penetration Testers” and “SOC Analysts”.

Cyber crime is on the increase

Latest cyber security research revealed that around a third of UK businesses (32%) and a quarter of charities (24%) report having experienced any kind of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months.

Everyone knows that cyber crime is on the increase, therefore it is very important for organisations and individuals to securely protect their data and assets. As a result of the increase in cyber crime, there is a major need for cyber security professionals on a global scale. For Welsh-based organisations to protect themselves, they also need access to a cyber & digitally skilled workforce. By training students in Wales with the latest cyber skills, they can get a cyber security role. Importantly, due to the shortage in people with cyber skills, these jobs normally well paid, which if the workers stay in Wales then helps boost the country’s economy.

What’s in the future for Cyber College Cymru?

The opportunity is immense. Areas like Manchester which have built a cyber bubble have attracted many new businesses to the region and countless new jobs. There is no reason why Wales could not do the same, and importantly outside of work, Wales has a lot to offer in terms of quality housing at affordable levels, great transport and excellent outdoor activities.

I would like to see every person in college or doing A-Levels, including those that may have had a difficult start in life, be given opportunities. Particularly, to become cyber aware and have a good basic understanding of Good Cyber Hygiene. I would also like to see more employers in Wales get on board with the programme and add more colleges to the programme. Ideally I would like to see new organisations being attracted to Wales, due to the cyber and digital talent and skills that are now available in Wales.