The Cybersecurity Skills Academy is a European initiative designed to address the growing shortage of cybersecurity professionals and to strengthen Europe’s digital resilience, competitiveness and security. As cyber threats become more complex and increasingly target public administrations, critical infrastructures, businesses and citizens, the need for a skilled cybersecurity workforce has become a strategic priority for the European Union.

The need for a coordinated European response to the cybersecurity skills shortage was formally set out in the European Commission Communication introducing the Cybersecurity Skills Academy.

The Academy responds to this challenge by promoting a more coordinated European approach to cybersecurity skills. Its purpose is to bring together education and training providers, public authorities, industry, research organisations and other relevant stakeholders around a common objective: to increase the number of people equipped with the knowledge, competences and practical skills required in the cybersecurity labour market.

Within the CSC-EDIC website, the Academy section serves as an information hub for the Cybersecurity Skills Academy. It presents the key objectives of the initiative, explains its main pillars, and provides guidance on skills frameworks, training opportunities, certification pathways, stakeholder cooperation and future opportunities for learners, professionals, organisations and public bodies.

The Academy is built around the idea of a single entry point for cybersecurity skills. This means improving access to information, reducing fragmentation, supporting cooperation between different initiatives, and helping learners, employers and training providers better understand the skills needed for current and emerging cybersecurity roles.

Through this approach, the Academy contributes to the broader European effort to develop a strong, inclusive and future-ready cybersecurity workforce. It supports not only technical expertise, but also lifelong learning, reskilling, upskilling and the creation of clearer career pathways in cybersecurity.