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OAS, CONCYTEC, Peruvian Foreign Affairs Ministry and Citi Foundation Train 60 students in Cybersecurity

The Cybersecurity Program of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE) of the Organization of American States (OAS) and Citi Foundation, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru, and the National Council of Science, Technology and Innovation (CONCYTEC), started this week the Peruvian chapter of the international program 'Creating a Career Path in Cybersecurity, Pathways to Progress', to train 60 students from Peru.

The virtual program trains students from vulnerable economic backgrounds to improve their long-term employability. Participants will benefit from 40 hours of technical training in cybersecurity, including topics such as cybersecurity fundamentals, incident management, threat analysis and forensic analysis, as well as four hours on professional development. This year, the program will involve the participation of 60 students from 10 universities from various cities and regions of the country, including Arequipa, Callao, Huacho, Huancayo, Lima, Pampas, and Puno. Between 2017 and 2020, the ‘Creating a Career Path in Cybersecurity, Pathways to Progress’ program has trained 160 students in Peru and more than 600 young people throughout the Americas region.

The representative of CONCYTEC, Jorge del Carpio Salinas, highlighted the selection of 60 Peruvian students carefully made by the OAS, from a universe of more than 100 students who applied to the course.

He also noted the participation of 10 Peruvian universities, especially those found in provinces such as: National University of the Altiplano in Puno, National University of Huancavelica, and the National Autonomous University of Tayacaja "Daniel Hernández Morillo" in Huancavelica. Likewise, he thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its efforts that allowed CONCYTEC to be appointed as a focal point before the OAS/CICTE, and allowed the Cybersecurity course to reach more regions of Peru. An even greater participation of universities in the provinces is expected in upcoming courses.

For his part, the Director of Organizations and Multilateral Policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru, Rolando Ruiz Rosas Cateriano, recalled the importance of “closing the technical skills gaps. Hence the importance of promoting this project, to achieve a better preparation of our future professionals in cyberspace issues.” Likewise, he stressed that this edition has a decentralized nature, including university students from various regions of Peru, as proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Executive Secretary of CICTE, Alison August Treppel, pointed out that “through initiatives such as the 'Creating a Career Path in Cybersecurity' program and ongoing collaboration with Citi Foundation, the OAS continues to support qualified training in cybersecurity for young people in the region, exposing them to possible career options in the industry and awakening their interest in generating solutions adapted to the cybersecurity challenges of the moment.”
 
The Vice President of Citi LATAM Corporate Citizenship & Government Affairs, Melissa Pino, affirmed that “one of the lessons derived from the pandemic is that digitization is inevitable. As we continue to grow in the digital space we must, in parallel, equip people with the necessary skills to protect ourselves from bad actors. By equipping young people with these skills, we are preparing them for a sector that is in high demand. The OAS has done an incredible job to ensure that our current and future workforce receives the best training and has access to the networks that help them find employment."

According to the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC), there are currently more than three million job openings in cybersecurity globally. In the Americas alone there is a shortage of more than 600,000 skilled cybersecurity workers. The ‘Creating a Career Path in Cybersecurity’ program is an initiative that is working to close the technical skills gap in Latin America and the Caribbean by empowering young people from diverse economic backgrounds and promoting professional preparation in the region.

In addition to Peru, the program has conducted virtual trainings in Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, training more than 200 students during 2021. The 50 most outstanding students of the program will have access to additional opportunities for personal and professional training, including access to a virtual training on digital entrepreneurship and an annual license from Platzi, an online learning platform, among others.

Citi Foundation

Since 2014, the Citi Foundation has invested approximately $ 200 million globally in Pathways to Progress initiatives. By 2023, the Citi Foundation hopes to cumulatively reach one million young people covered by these programs around the world, with a total investment of $ 300 million. In the United States, the program has served approximately 100,000 young people over the past three years, and the expansion of these efforts will be geared more intensively toward entrepreneurship and job skills training for African-American communities.
 
The Citi Foundation is dedicated to promoting economic development and improving the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. It invests in initiatives that expand financial inclusion, catalyze youth employment opportunities, and reimagine approaches to building economically dynamic cities. The Citi Foundation's "More Than Philanthropy" approach leverages Citi's deep expertise and human capital to fulfill its mission and drive thought leadership and innovation.

Media Contacts: 
Gabriela Montes de Oca
[email protected]

Reference: E-077/21