Image: Woodville High School
South Australian students are taking on a unique educational journey with the introduction of an Australian-first mobile cyber skills escape room, which is set to tour the nation. This new initiative aims to enhance cyber security skills among young learners.
The Cyber Escape Experience is a mobile escape room housed within a 12-meter-long shipping container. The experience integrates learning with interactive activities to increase awareness and skills in tackling cyber threats. Teams of students work together to solve puzzles and achieve cyber-related objectives within 30 to 60-minute sessions.
“The Malinauskas Labor Government is committed to investing in young people and building the pathways to cater for huge projects we have coming online in this state in the next few years – including the AUKUS project where we will need young people skilled in cyber security,” said Blair Boyer MP.
“We are building new technical colleges specifically with those demands in mind, and offering new Flexible Industry Programs (FIPs) within schools to support students, key industries and employers.”
Woodville High School, currently conducts cyber safety courses and will soon provide a Certificate III in Cybersafety in association with TafeSA, was chosen as the first venue for the escape room.
This escape room presents an exciting opportunity for our students and aligns with our school’s strategic direction. At Woodville High School we are shifting to focus not just on what students know, but on what they can do and who they can be,” Woodville High School Principal Anna Mirasgentis.
“After looking at what our students were doing after they left school, we identified that a significant number were choosing to study IT, so we have entered a partnership with TAFESA to offer a Certificate III in Information Technology with a Cybersecurity Pathway.
“This Cyber Security escape room is a perfect opportunity for our current Year 9 and 10 students in particular, to experience and understand the power and impact of AI personally and its impact on global security.”
Recent data indicated that state governments and education sectors were significant targets, accounting for nearly 20 per cent of cyber incidents reported in the previous year. The escape room project is part of a broader strategy to mitigate these threats by building a deeper understanding of and skills in cyber security among students and education staff.
The department has already undertaken measures to strengthen cyber safety awareness, including cyber safety training for Department for Education staff and a partnership with Fortinet to provide free training. Over 600 employees completed the training modules in the initial two months of implementation, and the enrolment numbers have continued to rise.
As the Cyber Escape Experience prepares for its national rollout starting in March, it brings a crucial focus on equipping Australia’s future workforce with the necessary skills to navigate and secure the digital landscapes of tomorrow. This initiative represents a practical and timely response to the growing cyber threats while fostering interest in STEM fields crucial for the nation’s technological and defence sectors.
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