The Gallant government is moving with its commitment to the cyber-security industry, focusing Wednesday on students at the elementary to high school level.
The new CyberLaunch Academy aims to help students with high-tech workplace skills of the future.
It’s not part of the school curriculum but an extra curricular opportunity with classes on weekends.
“The classes are very interactive,” said Dr. Natalia Stakhanova, the Academy’s founder and president. “Everything is hands on.”
READ MORE: UNB event stresses urgency on cyber security
New Brunswick is the first province in Canada to have a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. The premier stresses that people should expect more cyber attacks in the future.
“Which means we want to set up the right infrastructure and the right type of support for our businesses here in the province to be protected and at the same time it presents, through this challenge, a huge opportunity for growth,” Premier Brian Gallant said at the launch in Fredericton.
That growth opportunity seems to be backed up by numbers — opportunities New Brunswick says the emerging cybersecurity talent shortage is expected to reach about 1.5 million people worldwide by 2019.
The academy will also have separate classes for boys and girls in an attempt to try to right the gender imbalance in I.T. and attract more girls into the field.
The academy is receiving a contribution and repayable loan totaling $160,000 from Opportunities New Brunswick