Six First Nations students will graduate Friday from a Collėge communautaire du Nouveau Brunswick program in cybersecurity -- the first graduates in a new suite of programs to help indigenous youth participate in New Brunswick’s burgeoning cybersecurity industry.

The Joint Economic Development Initiative, or JEDI, said the six students with a background in information technology have completed the first cohort of a 20-week cybersecurity program. The statement added that a second cohort of students in December will graduate from a 68-week program for people without any formal IT training.

JEDI, which is an economic development agency for indigenous people in New Brunswick, developed the programs in partnership with CCNB, Bulletproof Solutions Inc. and the Department of Post-Secondary Education Training and Labour.

“The Joint Economic Development Initiative is thrilled to be partnering with CCNB and Bulletproof Solutions on two leading-edge cybersecurity programs for Indigenous peoples in New Brunswick,” said JEDI President Alex Dedam in a statement. “The cybersecurity industry is growing and Indigenous peoples are ready to be part of it. These two programs have been designed and delivered with industry input and will launch our students into a robust industry that is in need of employees and is waiting for them to graduate.”

Both program curriculums were inspired by the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

The graduating students in the 20-week course will receive a Cybersecurity certification from CCNB, while the December cohort will graduate with an accredited diploma from CCNB and CySA+ certification. These programs also offer a variety of training and mentorship opportunities to ensure graduates leave with the tools and skills they need to be job-ready upon program completion, said the statement.

The New Brunswick government has identified cybersecurity as a pillar in its economic development strategy. A new Cybersecurity Innovation Centre is currently under construction to house the growing number of Cybersecurity companies and organizations in Fredericton.

“It was an absolute pleasure to work so closely with all the partners involved in this project,” said Darryl Esau, Bulletproof’s Vice-President of Learning Services. “The commitment for excellence in making leading-edge training available for the Indigenous community was unwavering and successful. From initial planning to student graduation, I think it’s safe to say the program successfully brought fresh enthusiastic cybersecurity professionals to the cybersecurity market.”