The Matter of Cybersecurity Expert Workforce Scarcity in the Czech Republic and Its Alleviation Through the Proposed Qualifications Framework

This paper is focused on challenges connected with the persisting imbalance between the supply and demand of the cybersecurity expert workforce. We analyse the current situation in the Czech Republic, finding that although the shortage of experts affects the private and public sectors both, the public sector is constrained by a massive financial undervaluation of cybersecurity experts and other legal and systematic deficiencies and obstacles and therefore has a much lower chance of attracting talents in this field. The inability of public institutions to find relevant workforce causes, among other things, problems with formulating public procurements, assessing offers and communicating their requirements to the supply-side of the labour market. One of the solutions to this crisis might be in the systematic support of education programmes. However, the cybersecurity field is so dynamic and fragmented that the alignment of the education programme with the market needs presents a significant challenge. There, a unified qualifications framework could serve as a basis for finding common ground. We focus on the benefits of creating such a framework, especially the benefits that a united taxonomy can bring to the cybersecurity labour market by bolstering cybersecurity higher education. Finally, we summarise the key features of the cyber-qualifications framework that is being developed under our current project and highlight its potential use for labour market optimisation and efficient development of new cybersecurity study programs and further education.