Swansea, 31 October 2023 - SANS Institute, in a strategic partnership with The Labour Fund, Tamkeen, celebrates the culmination of its highly successful Cyber Reskilling Program in Bahrain.
Launched in 2022 this initiative was specifically designed to meet the growing needs of organizations in Bahrain. Its main objective is to identify, educate, and reskill individuals for cybersecurity roles. As companies prioritize enhancing their customer's experiences through advanced data usage, newer cybersecurity challenges have arisen. Companies have seen the need to invest further in their employees' cybersecurity training to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to tackle these threats.
The collaborative partnership between SANS and Tamkeen has been in operation for 18 months, during which three cohorts of students have actively participated in the Cyber Reskilling program. The program, an intensive eight-week training opportunity with a comprehensive blend of hands-on and theoretical training provided by the cybersecurity industry’s leading experts, empowers candidates with three SANS courses, leading to globally renowned GIAC certifications. The course covers SEC275: Computer, Technology and Security Foundations, SEC401: Security Essentials: Network, Endpoint and Cloud, and SEC504 Hacker Tools, Techniques, and Incident Handling.
The program has already produced more than 60 program graduates ready for immediate deployment into cybersecurity roles, with 30 individuals due to complete training by November 2023. The individuals, selected for their high aptitude from over 1,500 applicants, have secured positions with well-known organizations in various sectors, including banking, IT, communications, defence, and oil and gas.
Ned Baltagi, Managing Director of SANS for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa says "Beyond individual upskilling, our endeavor strengthens organizations, arming them with a workforce adept at navigating the intricate maze of today’s cyber landscape. Our curriculum is strategically tailored enabling students to engage in training under the mentorship of seasoned industry experts. We firmly believe that by equipping the forthcoming wave of professionals with specialized tools and training protocols, we can catalyze the nation's cybersecurity trajectory and its futuristic vision.
Industry talks, introductions and networking opportunities, career fairs, and community events are included in the partnership as additional value to help bolster the cybersecurity community in Bahrain. The Cyber Reskilling Program Career Fair has been earmarked for November 9, 2023. This event will be an excellent opportunity for fresh talent and potential employers to connect with each other to discuss career opportunities and strengthen Bahrain's cyber ecosystem.
Esteemed corporations like Beyon Cyber, Rain, Advantari, Tatweer, Khaleeji Bank, NGN International, Bahrain Commercial Services, Citibank, CTM360, and Nasser AI Research, amongst others, are trusted program partners, enabling program participants to gain employment in cybersecurity positions within months of completing training.
Echoing the collaborative spirit, Ahmed Albalooshi, CEO of Advantari, remarks, “Our alliance with SANS and Tamkeen has been invaluable. Not only have we onboarded top-tier Bahraini cybersecurity talent, but we’re thrilled to share our journey and insights, further propelling this initiative.”
For more information about the Cyber Reskilling Program, visit https://www.sans.org/mlp/bahrain-academy-employer/
About The SANS Institute
The SANS Institute was established in 1989 as a cooperative research and education organization. Today, SANS is the most trusted and, by far, the largest provider of cybersecurity training and certification to professionals in government and commercial institutions worldwide. Renowned SANS instructors teach more than 60 courses at in-person and virtual cybersecurity events and OnDemand. GIAC, an affiliate of the SANS Institute, validates practitioner skills through more than 35 hands-on, technical certifications in cybersecurity. The SANS Technology Institute, a regionally accredited independent subsidiary, offers master's and bachelor's degrees, graduate certificates, and an undergraduate certificate in cybersecurity. SANS Security Awareness, a division of SANS, provides organizations with a complete and comprehensive security awareness solution, enabling them to manage their "human" cybersecurity risk easily and effectively. SANS also delivers a wide variety of free resources to the InfoSec community including consensus projects, research reports, webcasts, podcasts, and newsletters; it also operates the Internet's early warning system--the Internet Storm Center. At the heart of SANS are the many security practitioners, representing varied global organizations from corporations to universities, working together to support and educate the global information security community.