With K-12 schools being the fastest-growing target for cybercriminals, better career development for school IT leaders is crucial. These tireless professionals are on the frontline every day, monitoring and analyzing threats to personally identifiable information (PII) and other risks that threaten students and staff. Building stronger cybersecurity skills is good not only for school IT professionals but for the districts that employ them.
Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate
One of the certifications that can be most beneficial to school IT leaders is the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate. This course prepares IT leaders to understand the importance of cybersecurity practices and their impact for schools, identify common risks, threats, and vulnerabilities, and learn how to protect networks, devices, people, and data from unauthorized access and cyberattacks using Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools.
Why School IT Leaders Need Career Development
It is essential for school IT professionals to actively seek professional development opportunities to ensure the continued success and efficiency of educational technology within the institution. In the rapidly evolving field of information technology, staying up to date with the latest trends, tools, and security measures is crucial to provide students and staff with a safe and effective learning environment. Professional development enables IT experts to acquire new skills, enhance existing ones, and gain valuable insights into emerging technologies, all of which contribute to the seamless operation of educational systems. Moreover, by pursuing ongoing training and certification, IT professionals can better safeguard sensitive student data and address potential cybersecurity threats, ultimately fostering a productive, cutting-edge educational experience for all stakeholders in the school community.
How GG4L Supports Career Development for School IT Leaders
As a public benefit corporation, GG4L is committed to supporting data privacy and security for schools. One of the ways we are able to do this is through our career development program for school IT leaders. The Career Passport for IT Professionals, powered by Coursera, offers self-paced IT training, including the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate from Coursera Career Academy.
Managing or supporting a school or district IT department is a demanding profession, but it’s also one in which the information is changing rapidly. To remain competitive and effective in your field, continual education is essential. The Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate is one of the most sought-after credentials for IT professionals. By pursuing career development opportunities, you not only become more competitive for technology jobs in the education industry but can provide a much higher level of competency to the schools you work so hard to protect. For more information about how GG4L can help school IT leaders improve and elevate their skills, please visit https://gg4l.com/career-readiness/career-passport/.
