In partnership with The Hacking Games and Co-op Group, the Trust will pilot a pioneering programme across its 38 academies, which serve more than 20,000 students. The initiative follows Co-op’s own experience of cyberattack and aims to turn potential risk into opportunity by engaging students early and equipping them with the knowledge and skills to pursue careers in ethical hacking and cyber security.

The programme, informed by independent research from Oxford University’s Professor Jonathan Lusthaus, will focus on prevention, digital resilience and inclusion, particularly supporting neurodivergent learners.

Jo Sykes, Head of Careers at Co-op Academies Trust, said: “This partnership offers a powerful new way to connect our students to future careers. The cyber industry is growing rapidly, but still faces a huge skills shortage.

“By working with The Hacking Games, we’re helping students channel their talents for good, offering early exposure to digital career pathways while supporting informed, ethical choices online.”

Globally, cybercrime is expected to cost £12 trillion this year, while millions of cybersecurity jobs remain unfilled. With 69% of European teens reported to have committed some form of online offence, Co-op and The Hacking Games are taking a proactive, values-led approach to inspire and educate the next generation of “hackers for good.”

Through immersive, gamified learning and simulated “capture the flag” challenges, the pilot will offer students a first-hand experience of what a career in cybersecurity could look like, creating real, long-term opportunities in one of the UK’s fastest-growing industries.

Shirine Khoury-Haq, Group CEO of Co-op, said: “We know first-hand what it feels like to be targeted by cybercrime. The disruption it causes, the pressure it puts on colleagues, and the impact it has on the people and communities we serve.

“At Co-op, we can’t just stand back and hope it doesn’t happen again - to us or to others. Our members expect us to find a cooperative means of tackling the cause, not just the symptom. Our partnership with The Hacking Games lets us reach talented young people early, guide their skills toward protection rather than harm, and open real paths into ethical work. When we expand opportunity we reduce risk, while having a positive impact on society.”