Readout: Senior White House Leaders Visit Southern Wisconsin to Highlight Investments that Provide Good-Paying Cyber Jobs and Free Resources to Protect K-12 Schools from Cyber Attacks

National Cyber Director Joined by OPM Acting Director as Part of the Service for America Cyber, Tech and AI Recruiting Sprint

October 3, 2024

This week in Madison and Whitewater, Wisconsin, White House National Cyber Director Harry Coker, Jr. highlighted investments from the Biden-Harris Administration that are opening up opportunities and providing good-paying cyber jobs. He also shared free resources available to K-12 school districts and libraries that can help keep their systems, students, and communities safe from cyber threats.

On Wednesday in Whitewater, Wisconsin, Director Coker was joined by the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Acting Director Rob Shriver to visit the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (UWW) and their career fair as part of the Service for America campaign, which ONCD and OPM recently launched in partnership with Office of Management and Budget to encourage Americans to serve our country – and their communities – through a career in cyber, tech and AI.

Director Coker shared how the Biden-Harris Administration is connecting Wisconsinites to good-paying cyber jobs. He talked in-depth about the opportunity to strengthen national security, economic prosperity and technological innovation by building the Nation’s cyber workforce. He highlighted best practices in the area including strong partnerships between schools, training institutions, and employers.

In line with the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy released last July, the Directors heard firsthand how a focus on work-based, hands-on learning opportunities positions students at a significant advantage in the workforce and how many can attain a good-paying job in cybersecurity even if they don’t have a four-year college degree.

The Directors toured the University’s facilities where students gain hands-on experience to prepare them with the skills they need to immediately contribute to the cyber workforce. They spoke with students who shared their stories about why they’re pursuing a career in cyber. They spoke with UWW Administrators to learn about best practices and they met with local employers who are part of a vibrant ecosystem that is helping increase access to good-paying, meaningful cyber jobs and grow the area’s cyber workforce.

In Wisconsin, as in other parts of the Nation, there is a strong demand for cyber talent. Over 13,000 Wisconsinites are currently employed in cyber careers, yet there are still an almost 5,000 open cybersecurity jobs in the State, including almost 3,000 open jobs in the Janesville, Madison, and Milwaukee area.

OPM Acting Director Shriver discussed the many openings in the Federal cyber workforce and efforts to broaden pathways into cyber roles, like skills-based hiring, being pursued in close cooperation with the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD).

“I believe it is clear that Whitewater is doing its part by fostering an environment of faculty, educators, and students that are well-equipped to meet the growing need for cyber talent,” said Coker. “The partnerships between you and your neighbors have made Wisconsin more cyber resilient in the face of increased threats. The connective tissue between the area high schools, institutions of higher learning, and the neighboring communities is something we need to see in more places across the country. I have been so impressed by my visit today to witness first-hand the collaborative ecosystem you all have built.”

Director Coker’s full remarks are available here.

On Thursday in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, National Cyber Director Harry Coker, Jr. led a roundtable discussion focused on challenges and opportunities in K-12 cybersecurity. Hosted by Dr. Jill Underly, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the roundtable discussion, with more than 50 State officials, school administrators, and IT professionals, promoted no-cost services and other State and Federal resources to help improve the cybersecurity of school districts, including the benefits and ease of use of a free service called Protective Domain Name System (PDNS).

This widely-attended event provided an opportunity for school districts and libraries from around Wisconsin to discuss the cybersecurity challenges they face, and for Federal and State officials to share what they can do to help and learn how they can better support this critical community. Director Coker was happy to bring Federal partners to the discussion, including representatives from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center. The roundtable helped school districts and libraries better understand what help is available in the event of a cyber-attack, no-cost Federal and State resources available to immediately improve cybersecurity, and concrete next steps that the group could take to further protect students, teachers, and schools.

“It is absolutely necessary that we shift the bulk of the responsibility off the shoulders of school district and library administrators and onto organizations that are best positioned to reduce risk. This shift of responsibility is exactly what the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Cybersecurity Strategy calls for, and it’s what our office is working every day to implement,” said White House National Cyber Director Harry Coker, Jr. “So today, we’re here in Wisconsin to bring together the resources of the Federal Government and our partners. We are here to help – help direct those on the front lines of defending our schools and libraries and the digital systems that underpin them – to resources that can provide protection in the short-term, and help alleviate the larger challenges that put you at risk in the long-term.”

The Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda has delivered significant financial support for Wisconsin to help grow programs like those at UW-Whitewater and further develop the digital infrastructure.

The Cybersecurity Center for Business at UW-Whitewater received a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s Engines Development Award, which gives students hands-on learning experience while they provide cybersecurity support to small and mid-sized businesses in rural areas.

The Investing in America agenda has also provided $1.7 billion for affordable, reliable high-speed internet to Wisconsinites, including:

• Investing in expanding access to high-speed internet across Wisconsin: specifically with over $1 billion to build high-speed Internet infrastructure, provide equipment, and teach skills so everyone can use the internet. Households can check their eligibility, sign up, and find fully covered Internet plans at GetInternet.gov

• Investing in efforts to promote digital inclusion and advance equity: specifically with $14.2 million through Digital Equity Act programs in the State

• Investing in ensuring lowered costs of high-speed internet services to unserved and underserved communities with almost $14.9 million from the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program

Both Federal and non-Federal organizations are also investing in the region’s and Nation’s cyber workforce. In Whitewater, ONCD was pleased to announce four new commitments that will deliver new learning opportunities to students and jobseekers across the region and Nation:

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)

NTIA will fund no fewer than 56 State and Territory Capacity Grant awards worth $800 million that support State Digital Equity Plan implementation activities across U.S. States and Territories, which may include strategies to implement digital literacy and skills training opportunities that minimize barriers to entry into the cyber workforce. NTIA will also fund approximately $900 million digital equity projects under the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program, which may also include efforts to implement digital literacy and skills training opportunities that minimize barriers to entry into the cyber workforce.

Sapphire BLU

Sapphire BLU has committed to hiring 50 cyber professionals in 2025 through its a registered apprenticeship and by hiring veterans, military spouses, and entry-level candidates. Sapphire BLU reports it has invested over $22,000 in scholarships in apprenticeship training and built an ecosystem tailored to the emerging CMMC cybersecurity compliance industry.

Snyk

Snyk, a developer security company that enables developers to build secure applications and equips security teams to meet the demands of the digital world, has committed to use its learning platform, Snyk Learn, to offer 10 free hands-on training sessions every year, including a session exclusively for students to help prepare them for the workforce. Snyk has also committed to continue creating new, free content to give learners in-demand cybersecurity skills.

SIMS Software

SIMS Software, a small business with a national footprint focused on security information management systems, has committed to establishing a Cyber Internship Program, bringing on at least 5 paid interns annually.