Abstract

Global cybersecurity workforce shortages persist as a critical challenge, exacerbated by a gap between academic competencies and practical industry skills. Traditional theoretical instruction often fails to prepare graduates for real-world security demands. This review investigates measures to align academic programs with industry requirements and identifies key barriers. Guided by established protocols, twelve primary studies were analyzed using structured inclusion criteria and thematic data extraction. Searched peer-reviewed articles from the ACM Digital Library and Google Scholar. Findings indicate that hands-on learning, cyber ranges and simulated environments enhance threat detection and incident response skills. Aligning curricula with industry certifications and integrating emerging technologies such as AI and gamification are essential for engagement. Bridging the skills gap requires standardized curricula, immersive training infrastructure, and stronger industry partnerships.