Mentorship
Talent is everywhere. Opportunity isn't. The UK cybersecurity workforce dropped 4.9% to 349,360 professionals last year, the largest decline worldwide (ISC2 2024). At the same time, thousands of young people in underrepresented communities have the aptitude and interest but lack the connections, guidance, and visibility to break into the industry. Our Mentorship programme bridges that gap: pairing aspiring professionals with experienced mentors who provide real guidance, real connections, and a real pathway into cybersecurity and tech.
The Opportunity Gap
The global cybersecurity workforce gap stands at 4.8 million unfilled positions (ISC2 2024). In the UK alone, the workforce shrank by 4.9%, losing experienced professionals faster than new ones enter. Women make up just 17% of the UK cyber workforce, dropping to 12% in senior roles (DSIT 2025). People from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnic minorities, and non-Russell Group universities remain significantly underrepresented.
The industry talks endlessly about the talent shortage, but does far too little to address the pipeline. Young people in underrepresented communities rarely meet cybersecurity professionals, rarely see themselves reflected in the industry, and rarely know what pathways exist beyond a traditional university degree. Mentorship changes that equation, one relationship at a time.
How the Programme Works
Mentees are aged 16–24 and reach us by direct referral, and in time through Coding Club and school partnerships. Mentors are working professionals in cybersecurity, software engineering, data science, and related fields who volunteer their time because they remember what it was like to start out. We currently work with three mentors.
- +Matching: we pair mentees with mentors based on career interests, personality, and availability. Not every match works first time, and that's fine; we'll rematch if needed
- +Regular sessions: mentors and mentees meet fortnightly (in person or online) for guided conversations covering career planning, skills development, and industry insight
- +Project-based learning: mentees work on real projects with mentor guidance. This builds a portfolio of work they can show to employers and demonstrates practical ability beyond qualifications
- +Certification support: for mentees ready to pursue industry certifications (CompTIA Security+, Cisco CCNA, etc.), we provide study resources and, where possible, sponsor exam fees
- +Industry exposure: mentees attend industry events, hackathons, and networking sessions. We also plan small-group sessions where multiple mentors share their career journeys
- +Career support: CV reviews, interview preparation, application guidance, and introductions to employers. We help mentees understand what the industry actually looks for and how to present themselves
Supported by Hero Skool
Mentees use Hero Skool to access structured learning paths and browser-based coding challenges that complement their mentorship sessions. Mentors can see their mentee's progress and suggest modules relevant to their goals. It means learning continues between sessions, and mentees always have something to work on.
For Mentors
If you work in cybersecurity, tech, or a related field and want to give back, we'd love to hear from you. Mentoring takes approximately 2–4 hours per month: a fortnightly session plus occasional messages. We provide mentor training, safeguarding checks, and ongoing support. The impact you can have on a young person's trajectory is immense. Many of our mentors say it's the most rewarding thing they do outside their day job.
Impact So Far
The programme is small, and deliberately so. Our first two mentees were Oliver and Ethan. Oliver has since joined Cyber Heroez as a product security intern, and Ethan continues in the programme, with his Linux training course funded by us. As the programme grows, we'll report outcomes as they happen rather than in the abstract.
Get Involved
Whether you're a young person interested in tech, a professional wanting to mentor, or an employer wanting to connect with emerging talent, contact us. The Mentorship programme is free for mentees and runs year-round.
