When the team and I first launched Immersive Labs, our driving idea was that people – regardless of academic pedigree or experience – could become proficient in cyber skills if given the opportunity. With that guiding principle, we built – and continue to expand on – a platform that provides teams and individuals with real-life simulations and labs to strengthen and prove capabilities.While our core business helps the world’s largest enterprises and government organisations prepare for and respond to cyber threats, we felt it was important to make a portion of our platform content available to underserved communities.For the past six years, we have offered Digital Cyber Academies (DCAs), programs that supply students, veterans, and the neurodivergent community with access to a global online cyber skills platform equipped with on-demand, real-world exercises.That initial program saw countless success stories, including a janitor who transitioned to a junior SOC analyst after acquiring and demonstrating cyber skills. Stories like these prove that a skills-first program can change lives, which is why we are more committed than ever to offering these opportunities to a broader audience.Announcing Cyber MillionToday marks the next step in Immersive Labs’ journey to remove barriers-to-entry from the cybersecurity field. With support from our foundational partner Accenture, the beta launch of Cyber Million – a program that aspires to solve the cybersecurity talent deficit by increasing access to one million entry-level cybersecurity operations jobs over the next decade – aims to drastically shift how organizations recruit cyber talent.Our cyber skills development platform serves as the backbone of this new program, with employment partners making roles accessible to individuals over 16 years of age who complete a collection of custom hands-on exercises.With an emphasis on real-world skills, upskilling, and aptitude over traditional evaluation – like costly certificate programs – we will modernize the way organizations recruit for cybersecurity roles globally. Ultimately, the program will reduce barriers to entry for job seekers by increasing access to opportunities and uncovering hidden talent.Calling all like-minded industry partnersAs cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated and organisations depend on skilled individuals and teams to keep people and organizations safe, it is crucial for us all to recognize the importance of innovative industry collaboration in addressing this challenge.Today, I welcome all like-minded organisations with open cyber operations roles to join us as a Cyber Million Employment Partner. Together, we can bridge huge global talent gaps by discovering and nurturing hidden talent and providing opportunities for growth.We invite you to be part of this transformative initiative and make a lasting impact on the future of cybersecurity.To learn more about becoming a Cyber Million Employment Partner, click here.