Australian veterans seeking a civilian career can now access free cyber security training under a program partnership between Fortinet Australia and veteran support organisation Soldier On.
Fortinet Australia provides integrated and automated cybersecurity solutions. As part of its Training Advancement Agenda (TAA), the training is also available to veterans’ families, and is provided by the Fortinet Security Academy Program.
The partnership with Soldier On allows any veteran who has worn a uniform for any period of time since 1990, or one of his or her family members, to access Fortinet’s Network Security Expert (NSE) training.
Participants will have the opportunity to become certified through lectures and hands-on practical application of knowledge gained through the eight-level NSE Certification Program.
Certification provides an independent validation of a participant’s network security skills and experience.
Fortinet says the qualifications will prepare former service personnel for careers on the technical side of IT security, or in roles in sales, product development, project management, marketing, human resources, finance, and so on.
“Fortinet is committed to closing the global skills gap with our TAA and one way is by untapping veterans’ potential to transition into a career in cybersecurity,” Fortinet’s FortiGuard Labs director of threat intelligence, Glenn Maiden said in a release.
“Military veterans and their families gain an opportunity to reskill and revitalise their careers while the industry will gain an influx of highly capable, qualified IT security professionals with experience that translates extremely well to the cyber defence challenge,” he said.
Ivan Slavich, CEO of Soldier On added, “Veterans add significant value to an organisation because of their work ethic, and the unique skills they acquire in the military.
“We also recognise that the family members of Defence personnel are a valuable asset to organisations. Importantly, this program can give both veterans and their family members the opportunity to discover and pursue a new passion, creating a true win-win.”