Macquarie, Fortem to reskill first responders in cyber

Macquarie Government has entered into a new partnership aimed at helping first responders transition to new careers in the cybersecurity sector.

The Macquarie Telecom subsidiary has partnered with first responder mental health organisation Fortem Australia to create recruitment and career transfer opportunities for the first responders, with a focus on national security and defence ICT.

Under the agreement, Macquarie Government will work with Fortem to support training opportunities, resources, networking events and other initiatives. The company will also develop and implement its own First Responder Recruitment Strategy.

Macquarie Government Managing Director Aidan Tudehope said Australia is facing a pressing need to considerably increase its cyber posture across the economy.

“The nature of cybersecurity means we need to develop and nurture that talent through a sovereign lens — ensuring we have Australians learning and working to protect Australian data,” he said.

“Australia’s first responders are among the best in the world. Many of them possess the analytical, investigative, problem-solving and pattern-recognition skills necessary for success in cyber, defence technology and related industries. In many cases, they already have the essential security clearances needed to work with sensitive data.”

Fortem Australia Managing Director and Co-Founder John Bale added that the partnership will help more first responder families make smooth transitions to the next stage of their careers.

“Partnering with the right companies to enable career transition for first responders and their families is central to our mission to provide specialised wellbeing and mental fitness support to first responder families,” he said.

Image caption: John Bale of Fortem Australia and Aidan Tudehope, Macquarie Government.