COLLEGE OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC
EC-Council's Community College Scholarship Initiative supports cybersecurity skills development

As a global leader in cybersecurity training and certifications, EC-Council has partnered with College of the North Atlantic (CNA) to support Canadian community colleges by providing additional scholarships for EC-Council learning resources and ancillaries.

EC-Council's Community College Scholarship Initiative (C2SI) is designed to assist community college students in accessing EC-Council learning materials and certifications at reduced costs. Through this initiative, EC-Council offers scholarships for eCourseware, lab ranges, and other eLearning bundles, ensuring that students have affordable pathways to industry-recognized credentials.

CNA students in the Bachelor of Applied Information Technology: Systems and Network Cybersecurity program can bypass the usual requirements for obtaining EC-Council certifications. Typically, obtaining an EC-Council certification requires two years of relevant work experience, references, an application, and an application fee. However, CNA students can directly qualify for the Certified Network Defender (CND), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), and EC-Council Incident Handler (ECIH) certifications without prior work experience by using the authorized content within their program.

Andrew Tompkins, Business Development Specialist at EC-Council, explained that "EC-Council Academia believes that Canadian community colleges play a crucial role in preparing cybersecurity workforce-ready graduates."

"This is particularly important for underserved communities, where financial barriers can often hinder access to quality education and training. By minimizing these barriers, C2SI provides support to students, helping them achieve their career goals in cybersecurity," he added. "The success of this program would not have been possible without the dedication of the talented faculty at CNA, including Jackie Reid, Dean Parsons, Ken Forward, and Brian Kidney. It has been a pleasure working with them to provide students with state-of-the-art cybersecurity training at affordable rates."

Jonathan Boudreau, a CNA cybersecurity student enrolled in the program who benefited from this partnership, said it was a positive, cost-saving experience.

"The C2SI partnership allowed me to go for certification which otherwise would have easily cost double," he explained. "Over the two years, we received fantastic and responsive guidance. I felt confident we were getting the full benefit of what EC-Council has to offer both on the defensive and offensive side of the house. Our point of contact was with us the whole way. When we had issues, we were well covered. By way of the partnership, the curriculum leads made sure we were always training on the most up-to-date tools and techniques."

Boudreau also emphasized the impact of having access to EC-Council's courseware and certifications, noting it goes beyond traditional IT certification experience that comes from other training.

"The courseware enhanced the learning experience and was very comprehensive, getting you thinking about things differently that puts the work role into perspective," he said. "There's just so much to do in cybersecurity, there really is something for everybody. We got the full experience. I personally gained a great deal from skills presented in the practical training. It now gives us almost limitless avenues to pursue and a full host of tools and resources at our disposal."

EC-Council's certifications are recognized by major institutions and align with the demands of the cybersecurity workforce. The Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) credential, for instance, is the top ethical hacking certification globally and is a requirement for over 70 per cent of related job postings on employment platforms worldwide.

In addition to financial savings, EC-Council also hosts webinars for CNA students, providing insights into rising trends in cybersecurity and career opportunities across Canada.

Ted Cadigan, Manager of Alumni and Advancement at CNA, thanked EC-Council for their generous support and commitment to enrolled cybersecurity students at CNA.

"By providing accessible and affordable training and certification opportunities, EC-Council and CNA are working together to build a stronger, more resilient cybersecurity workforce," he said. "This partnership has provided our students with invaluable resources and opportunities that may have otherwise been financially out of reach. These collaborations improve the overall educational experience and better prepare our students for their future careers in cybersecurity. We look forward to continuing this partnership and achieving even greater success together."

For more information about the C2SI, please visit EC-Council's website.

For more information about Business and IT programs at CNA, please visit College of the North Atlantic - School of Business and Information Technology (cna.nl.ca).