The University of South Wales (USW) is one of the UK’s largest centres for cyber education, home to an NCSC recognised Academic Centre of Excellence and a pipeline of graduates feeding SOCs, consultancies and critical infrastructure operators across Wales and beyond. As Co-Director of the Centre, and a former secondary school teacher, Rhys Driscoll focuses on building a skills pathway that starts long before university.
Rhys works with schools, colleges and a variety of partners such as Cyber First to modernise the curriculum and introduce young people to cyber security earlier, aware that “students can’t consider a career in something they don’t know about”. He and his team provide resources, experiences and teacher support that help schools deliver relevant content despite tight budgets and competing curriculum pressures, while USW degrees and short courses offer progression routes into professional roles.
For investors and employers, this means Wales can offer something more than isolated talent initiatives: a joined up pipeline from classroom to cyber career, backed by a university that understands both educational and industrial needs. Rhys’ work helps ensure that as Wales attracts more cyber businesses and investment, there will be a diverse, locally rooted workforce ready to step into those opportunities.
