Hume and Whittlesea Council staff and local youth gathered at the La Trobe University Melbourne Campus in Bundoora, united by shared enthusiasm for everything ‘cyber’.
It was fun and informative cyber-packed day, with emphasis placed on exploring:
Cybersecurity Career Pathways
Cybersecurity isn’t just about firewalls and encryption; it’s a dynamic field teeming with possibilities.
Youth Cyber Awareness
Armed with knowledge, our community is better equipped to securely navigate the digital realm.
Keynote speaker, David Titeu, an award-winning mental health advocate, social entrepreneur and coach, with a background in cybersecurity, took the stage. He spoke about his lived experience – mental health challenges, cultural diversity, being a young carer – and how it fuels his passion for empowering others.
With his brainchild, Linkmate, David is on a mission to ensure everyone has a friend to turn to in times of need, to prevent the onset of mental health challenges. His app has so far provided emotional support to thousands across Australia and India.
Following David’s inspiring presentation, it was time to talk ‘business’ with a panel discussion.
Facilitated by La Trobe’s Dr Leanne Ngo, cyber savvy panellists – each embodying a different cyber sector and experience – shared their career wisdom with the crowd.
The panel included alumni Eleni Lykopandis, Australian Beaureau of Statistics; alumni Aaron Aiello, Cbus Super Fund; Janet Jenson, La Trobe University; Dr Jabed Chowdhury, La Trobe University; alumni Rhys Abas, FraudWatch, and Matthew Celotto, La Trobe University (Bachelor of IT student specialising in Networking and Cybersecurity).
The key takeaways from discussions:
- Cyber should be regarded as a career for people who care about protecting others – individuals, companies, councils, state and federal government, and national security
- Not all cyber professionals wear black hoodies and work in dark rooms! There are many aspects to cybersecurity and roles to suit a diverse range of people
- If you are interested in exploring a career in cyber, a simple first step is to reach out to a professional in the field and ask them about their experience. Enrolling in a short course will also provide a solid introduction to the cyber space.
To close the event, it was time to put newfound knowledge and insight to the test...
Dr Robert Ross took attendees through two Cyber Security Escape Rooms. The activities were designed to improve knowledge retention, encourage active participation and team building, and enhance cyber security knowledge and, ultimately, change behaviour.
While the Youth Summit has wrapped up, the learning does not have to stop here!
Our La Trobe online cybersecurity microcredentials are a great way for not only attendees but for the wider community (including you and/or your staff!) to deepen their knowledge about cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and emerging technology.
Whether you need to re-skill or up-skill, we have a range of courses that don't require any background knowledge. Explore our full suite of short courses for cyber here.
ARE YOU A BUSINESS LOOKING TO UPSKILL GROUPS OF STAFF?
Businesses are rightfully concerned about keeping up with cyber education across their teams – whether it is building technical capability in their cyber team, upskilling leadership to prepare and respond to the risk or engaging staff to actively participate in protecting the organisation from cyber threats in their daily roles.
La Trobe Professional can work alongside you to upskill your teams and protect your business.
Contact Monica Nowell, Senior Manager, Business Development – La Trobe Professional
M: 0491 877 760
E: m.nowell@latrobe.edu.au
