TD SYNNEX has announced the launch of the Passage Program, a professional service for current partners. Delivered through the TD SYNNEX Cyber Range, the program is designed to help bridge the growing cybersecurity skills gap through development of upcoming and established cybersecurity professionals.

"Globally, we are seeing a massive shortage of cybersecurity professionals, with nearly 2.7 million professionals needed to fill cybersecurity roles, according to research by (ISC)," said Tracy Holtz, vice president of security solutions, North America, TD SYNNEX. "To address this gap, TD SYNNEX is committed to delivering best-in-class security offerings and our Passage Program is a key initiative in achieving this goal."

The Passage Program will address the cybersecurity skills gap through the Placement Initiative and the Upskill Initiative.

Placement Initiative

The Placement Initiative is a program designed to place candidates into new job roles by providing the resources and technical skills needed to succeed in cybersecurity. This includes skills ranging from investigating alerts to report writing. The Placement Initiative currently supports career readiness and job placement for Security Operations Center (SOC) Tier 1 Analyst and Junior Penetration Tester roles.

Benefits of the Placement Initiative include:

• Candidates will be provided with skills training, industry knowledge, career consulting and a final assessment of job readiness at no cost to the candidate.
• Candidates will receive placement assistance into a cybersecurity job role that aligns to the training completed in the program.
• The initiative will help employers overcome the challenges of identifying competent and capable applicants by hiring candidates that have completed the program.
• TD SYNNEX partners looking to hire well-qualified and competent cybersecurity talent can strengthen their internal security teams through the Placement Initiative.

To learn more about this initiative, visit the Placement Initiative website.

Upskill Initiative

The Upskill Initiative is designed to develop participants in their current roles by providing the resources and competencies to enhance and build upon existing technical skills. This initiative currently supports job readiness and development for SOC Tier 1 Analyst and Junior Penetration Tester roles.

Benefits of the Upskill Initiative include:

• The Passage Program staff and trainings eliminate the hassle of needing to spend time and resources towards developing the right cybersecurity candidate to fit the right role.
• The Upskill Initiative, including traditional products and solutions exclusively offered by TD SYNNEX, will now be available to all TD SYNNEX partners.
• More than 50 years of TD SYNNEX Cyber Range expertise will be applied to thoroughly vet the requirements and job readiness of candidates and existing staff through the Upskill Initiative.
• TD SYNNEX partners play integral roles in supporting client organizations in building their cybersecurity maturity and readiness.
• The Upskill Initiative provides partners the opportunity to grow their internal talent and support their clients' cybersecurity practices.

To learn more about this initiative, visit the Upskill Initiative website.

"The Passage Program training has helped me with the technical components of SOC Analyst job interviews," said Jane Acutin, a SOC Analyst 1 Placement Initiative Candidate. "Working with the Cyber Range engineers who had real-world experience on the job, was incredibly valuable and built my confidence in finding the right job for me."

The TD SYNNEX Cyber Range is the first ever cybersecurity training facility hosted by an IT distributor. It is made to serve as a platform for cybersecurity demonstration and training. By leveraging the Cyber Range, TD SYNNEX's channel partners will be equipped with the skills necessary to design holistic cybersecurity solutions and services that mitigate the most advanced cyberthreats in the industry.