Dr Ismini Vasileiou has called for a stronger focus on the human skills needed to manage rapid technological change.

It followed the East Midlands Cyber Security founder’s appearance as a guest speaker at the DigiGov EXPO ‘26.

Speaking during a panel discussion on cyber sovereignty, workforce development and emerging technology, Dr Vasileiou said the challenge for organisations is both keeping up with technology and ensuring that people, organisations and skills systems evolve at the same pace.

The aim of the event was to give senior leaders from central and local government a platform to share insights, tackle shared challenges, and explore new opportunities for collaboration around digital transformation and cyber resilience.

Dr Vasileiou’s panel session ‘From Shortage to Sovereignty: Developing Cyber Skills for National Security’ explored what sovereignty means in cyber terms, both technically and organisationally. 

While issues such as data, infrastructure and control are important, organisations also need the capability to understand their dependencies, assess risks and make informed decisions.

Dr Vasileiou, an associate professor at De Montfort University, said this requires more than access to new technology.

“While we are facing incredibly rapid technological change, much of the emphasis still seems to be on how well we can use the technology itself,” she said. 

“There is a much bigger conversation to be had about what skills we actually need in this environment.”

Focus on workforce change

The panel also considered the impact of technology on jobs and workforce development, including the need to upskill and reskill staff as roles continue to change.

AI was a major part of the conversation, including concerns that it could reduce or reshape traditional entry-level roles.

Dr Vasileiou said fears around technology replacing people are not new, pointing to the work of science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov, who explored similar questions decades ago. 

However, she said the pace of current change means employers, education providers and policymakers need to look closely at how people gain experience and develop the skills needed for future roles.

Skills systems must respond faster

Dr Vasileiou also raised the challenge facing degree apprenticeships and formal training routes.

She said: “One of the challenges we now face is the pace of technological change. 

“By the time some programmes are designed, approved and ready for delivery, elements of the skills requirement may already have moved on.”

This creates a need for education and training providers to work closely with employers, technology specialists and public-sector partners, ensuring learning pathways remain relevant to changing workforce needs.

Trust and resilience

Dr Vasileiou also referred to the announcement of the new National Centre for Information Defence and the wider challenge of disinformation.

“Disinformation increasingly sits at the intersection of technology, people, trust and national resilience. It can affect public confidence, organisational decision-making and the ability of institutions to respond effectively during periods of uncertainty,” she said.

Dr Vasileiou said this reinforces the need to look beyond technical capability alone. Cyber resilience also depends on human factors, including judgement, critical thinking, adaptability, trust and decision-making.

The key message from the DIGIGov discussion is that organisations must evolve their people, skills and decision-making at the same pace as their technology.

Technology will continue to change how organisations operate, how services are delivered and how people work. The practical challenge is to ensure that workforce development, education and organisational culture do not fall behind.

Dr Vasileiou said EMCSC will continue to support knowledge exchange across the regional ecosystem, connecting employers, education providers, cyber specialists and public-sector partners around the shared goal of stronger cyber resilience and workforce capability.