Partner in focus: YRGO
The higher vocational education institution boosting cybersecurity expertise
On October 7, Cybercampus Sweden is holding an HVE (Higher Vocational Education) day where Cybercampus's academic partners and training providers come together to strengthen collaboration around higher vocational education programs and skills supply in cybersecurity. Ahead of the event, we interviewed Karin Omsén, principal of YRGO, one of the country's largest and broadest providers of HVE programs, about how HVE can strengthen Cybercampus's course catalog, what collaboration looks like in practice, and why she sees the HVE day as an important milestone.
What has YRGO contributed so far, and what do you hope to achieve going forward?
We've contributed experience in building and running HVE programs closely tied to working life. Going forward, I hope we can help make Cybercampus relevant across the whole country. It's about showing how different institutions can contribute and finding a way to communicate the bigger picture clearly. That's work we'll continue this fall, and I'm convinced that only Cybercampus can do this for Sweden.
HVE is often highlighted for its close ties to working life. How does that show up in practice?
No program starts with us unless an employer has identified the need. Every application we submit to the Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education must be backed by industry, with letters of intent and survey responses. That means what we teach is quality-assured by the very people who will actually hire our students. And we keep taking the temperature the whole time: anything that's no longer current gets cut. Industry tells us directly if something is stale, and we don't want to keep teaching that either.
What can HVE add to the Cybercampus course catalog that isn't already there?
We combine theory with a lot of hands-on skills training. Academia is stronger on the research-oriented and theoretical side, and that's valuable, but we contribute the practical know-how. We bring in consultants who teach and explain how things actually work in the workplace. That's the kind of job-relevant expertise we can add.
Which of YRGO's programs do you think are most relevant for cybersecurity professionals?
Really, all the courses in the IT and Cybersecurity Specialist program are highly relevant. What makes them especially attractive for working professionals is the format: in HVE, one credit point equals one day, and our courses run at 30–40 HVE credits, which makes them very manageable to combine with a job. We have teacher-led instruction in the afternoons and evenings, not just recorded modules.
Which parts do you think work best as standalone education?
There are many strong modules: application security, endpoint security, incident management, configuration management, and security in cloud and virtual services, to name a few. But if I had to highlight one course, it's network security at 40 HVE credits. It's offered part-time in the evenings, and I think it could become really popular.
Cybercampus is planning an HVE day on October 7. What does that initiative mean for YRGO and other HVE providers?
It means a great deal. It's actually been my goal from day one for higher vocational education to have a clear role in strengthening Sweden's skills supply in cybersecurity. The fact that Cybercampus is now creating a forum for this, so early and so seriously, is very important to us. We're not afraid of competition; the need for expertise is far too great nationally for that. HVE providers complement each other, and we complement academia just as academia complements us. Let higher vocational education shine. There's so much good work being done, and it deserves to be seen.
Want to help shape the future of skills supply in cybersecurity? On October 7, Cybercampus brings together partners, education providers, and stakeholders for a full day focused on HVE. Sign up here →