Lancashire Cyber Education Week
Students at Cardinal Newman College took part in a range of hands-on cyber and digital activities during the Lancashire Cyber Partnership’s third annual Lancashire Cyber Education Week, which engaged more than 10,000 young people across the county.
More than 100 schools and colleges participated in events hosted by a variety of education partners across Lancashire. Activities included cyber-themed quizzes, code-breaking challenges, cybercrime-prevention workshops and virtual escape room experiences designed to showcase the wide range of opportunities within Lancashire’s rapidly growing cyber sector.
At Cardinal Newman College, we hosted the Commander of National Cyber Force Air Vice-Marshal Tim Neal-Hopes OBE and his colleagues from GCHQ. Students had the opportunity to experience real-world cyber investigation techniques through an immersive open-source intelligence exercise. During the activity, students worked through a mock missing persons investigation, learning how publicly available online information can be used to trace digital footprints.
Cardinal Newman College student Rooney Muyah took part in the exercise as an open-source intelligence investigator. He said:
“It’s made me realise how easy it is to track people down on the internet and the importance of not sharing too much personal information online. I’m considering studying cyber security at university, so taking part in a hands-on exercise like this has been very beneficial.”
Alongside activities hosted at the College, students from across Lancashire also visited local universities, including Lancaster University, University of Lancashire and Edge Hill University, where they explored pathways into cyber careers and met professionals working in the sector.
A spokesperson from Cardinal Newman College said:
“We are proud to be part of Lancashire Cyber Education Week and to give our students opportunities to experience the real-world applications of cyber security. Activities like these help students understand the impact of digital skills in today’s world and inspire them to consider exciting future careers in the cyber and technology sectors.”
The week also featured a range of county-wide initiatives aimed at inspiring young people to consider careers in digital and cyber. These included STEM workshops delivered by BAE Systems for primary school pupils, MEGA’s Greentech Games at Brockholes Nature Reserve, and a TeenTech virtual session exploring innovation, artificial intelligence and cyber security.
Lancashire Cyber Education Week concluded with a family event at Blackburn College that welcomed more than 1,100 members of the public to take part in industry-led activities, employer panels and hands-on coding and robotics challenges.
The programme forms part of a wider effort by the Lancashire Cyber Partnership to inspire the next generation of digital talent and build a strong pipeline of cyber skills across the region. The partnership, launched in 2023, brings together Lancashire County Council, Lancaster University, University of Lancashire, BAE Systems and the National Cyber Force to support the county’s growing cyber ecosystem.