Cyber Switch Up 2025

Cyber Switch Up is a digital and cyber skills competition aimed at students aged 11-18 in Key Stages 3, 4 and 5, which is open to students in all secondary schools and colleges across Yorkshire and the Humber. It’s free to participate with an initial online qualifier which takes place between 1st October and 20th October, with a chance to compete in an in-person finals event at University of Hull (25th November 2025) where the pupils compete to win trophies and prizes for themselves and their school/college.

For 2025, the competition will be sponsored by Amazon Web Services (AWS), we are also looking to grow the competition to 25 finalists in Key Stages 3, 4 and 5 (75 in total).

Website - www.cyberswitchup.net

Instagram - @cyberswitchup

X - @CyberSwitchUp

Promo Video - YouTube Promotional Video

Last year we had 6262 young people between the ages of 11-18 in Key Stages 3, 4 and 5 from across the Yorkshire and Humber region registered to take part in the online qualifier. 4878 completed the online qualifier, which is a huge success for both our small team and the wider Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU). The highest scoring 60 students (20 from each Key Stage) from 25 schools and colleges from across the region were then invited to take part in the live finals event in Sheffield at the Sheffield Hallam University City Campus.

The students competed to score points across 4 different challenges lasting 30 minutes each, which were created by our partners - IBM & Raytheon, Civil Aviation Authority, British Army and BAE Systems. We also had Keynote Speaker talks from Sheffield Hallam University: HE & Career Pathways, Google: Engineering Career & Life Changes, Cyber First & RTC North: Bursaries etc., Creased Puddle: Neurodiversity, British Esports: Careers etc. and Online Gamers: Personal story, transferable skills, scams.

Please see attached news article - YHROCU Hosts Cyber Switch Up Final for further information.