CyberPath: Driving diversity and inclusion

Australia’s cyber security workforce is growing fast. But it’s also fragmented, inconsistent, and under pressure. Skills shortages persist. Career pathways are unclear. Employers struggle to define what ‘good’ looks like. And educators work hard to align with industry.

CyberPath is a government-backed pilot program to build a standardised, inclusive and highly skilled cyber security workforce. The goal is to bring clarity to industry complexity with a structured, nationally aligned framework that standardises career and education pathways, skills requirements and recognition frameworks.

Driving diversity and inclusion

Cyber security has a skills shortage and participation problem. Many capable individuals do not see themselves reflected in the profession due to stereotypes, lack of role models, and unclear pathways. Others who enter through non-traditional pathways struggle to gain recognition.

CyberPath will recognise the variety of ways into a cyber security career. It will validate real-world capability regardless of how skills were gained, whether through formal education, career transition, on-the-job experience or non-traditional learning.

By defining clear role expectations across technical and non-technical functions, CyberPath will broaden the understanding of what a cyber career looks like. This matters. It signals that cyber is not limited to a narrow technical archetype.

Structured pathways also reduce hidden barriers. When competencies and expectations are transparent:

• People know what is required to progress
• Systemic barriers such as unnecessary qualifications are removed
• Career changers can identify transferable skills
• Underrepresented groups gain clearer entry points
• Organisations can track inclusion metrics against consistent standards

For employers, this supports diversity, accessibility, and inclusion goals and advances ESG reporting goals. For professionals, it improves belonging and confidence. For the industry, it expands the available talent pool.

Professionalisation is not about gatekeeping. It sets a foundation that when operationalised thoughtfully, reduces barriers by making expectations visible and achievable.

Discover the benefits of CyberPath:

Closing the skills gap

Establishing clear career and education pathways

Creating clear and consistent industry standards