Cyber training program for released soldiers wins Innovation Award
The program trains soldiers who are newly released from "a meaningful service" in the IDF, offering classes, mentorship and team exercises.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFISRAEL WILL need to use cyber capabilities ‘in severe and extreme scenarios, to inflict systemic disruption on an enemy’s economic infrastructure and society at large.’ (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Cyber4s, a new program that trains released IDF soldiers for positions in Israel's cyber industry, has been awarded the IDF Chief of Staff's Innovation Award as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week.The program trains soldiers who are newly released from "a meaningful service" in the IDF, offering classes, mentorship and team exercises to prepare them for junior positions, according to a press release. The training focuses on helping participants learn the technical skills necessary for the industry as well as other skills for finding a job, such as resume writing and preparing for an interview.The first class is made up of dozens of newly released soldiers who will be trained as full-stack cyber developers.The six-month program was developed during the coronavirus pandemic and offers released soldiers, some of whom had not planned on starting academic studies and were unable to find a job as the pandemic caused widespread unemployment, a way to advance in the cyber industry.“Cyber4s is an innovative, breakthrough program and one of its kind, and we are proud and excited that it was awarded the Chief of General Staff's Innovation Award," said Maty Zwaig, CEO of Scale-Up Velocity by Start-Up Nation Central."The partnership with the IDF and the Israel National Cyber Directorate created a national opportunity to tap into the tremendous potential of discharged soldier who did not serve in technology units, and provide them with a platform to enter the hi-tech industry."This program creates a seamless connection between quality human capital and a focused industry need, using a scalable program that will drive the engine behind the Israeli economy - the hi-tech industry and Israeli innovation."Cyber4s was developed by Scale-Up Velocity, an organization that works to develop solutions to Israel's hi-tech human capital challenges, in cooperation with the Profession for Life Administration of the IDF and the Israel National Cyber Directorate.
