New Tech Partnership research has revealed that the UK cyber workforce has grown by 160% in the five years leading up to 2016.
The research shows that in 2011 there were 22,000 people working in cyber-security, compared to 58,000 working in the area now.
Banking accounts for one in five of these members of the workforce, while the digital industries involve just under half of the overall figure. This solid presence of banks reflected in this data indicates the growing concern around cyber-security in the financial services industry in recent years.
The Tech Partnership is a network of employers collaborating to create skills for the UK’s digital economy. The network is formed by over 1,000 businesses, and the employers include global brands, but also local businesses. The Tech Partnership says its goal is to ‘deliver the skills for a million tech jobs by 2025’.
Tech Partnership CEO Karen Price said: “In today’s data-driven world, nothing is more important for UK businesses than maintaining security. Developing the skills to protect ourselves is a national priority, and needs action at every level: at schools and universities, through digital apprenticeships, and through upskilling for experienced professionals”.
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The UK cyber workforce commands on average a salary of £57,000 a year, which is 15% higher than tech specialists, and a 7% increase on last year alone.
Cyber roles are at their most common in and around the capital, but cyber roles are becoming more prominent in all regions of the UK, with the highest figures recorded in Wales and the East Midlands.
Price said: “Employers are joining forces to make a difference in all these areas, and are working with Government to ensure that we have the skilled people we need to maintain our leadership position in cyber security, and operate safely in the global tech environment.”
