Preparing Our Country for a Cyber Future

NSF will invest over $24M in CyberCorps®: Scholarship for Service (SFS) awards over the next four years. These awards will support the development of a robust and resilient cybersecurity workforce by addressing the unique challenges around recruiting and retaining cybersecurity professionals for careers serving federal, local, state, or tribal governments. Awards will be made to: 1) University of Alabama at Birmingham; 2) California State University; Sacramento; 3) University of Tennessee Chattanooga; 4) Tuskegee University; 5) State University of New York at Buffalo; 6) Mississippi State University; and 7) Idaho State University.

The NSF’s Bridge to Cyber program is looking to add eight institutions to connect an estimated 500 individuals with no background in cybersecurity, including those from populations historically marginalized in tech/cyber, the opportunities to earn advanced degrees in cybersecurity. In addition, NSF’s SFS office plans to add at least six-eight institutions this year. The SFS program encourages HBCUs to reach out for applications or to seek an SFS institution as a mentor.

The National Security Agency’s (NSA) National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) program will release four grants to support a pilot initiative to develop four new Cyber Clinics at accredited U.S. colleges and universities in Nevada, Minnesota, Louisiana and Virginia.  The Cyber Clinics will support communities and small governments that would otherwise not have access to cyber risk assessment and planning assistance and provide an opportunity for over 200 students to develop competencies while in a supervised learning environment. NSA also expects to increase the number of NCAE-C designated institutions to 460 by the end of 2024, which will serve a projected 174,000 students annually. NSA also sponsors GenCyber summer camps each year, with a goal of at least 100 camps across the country, serving 2,800 students and 600 teachers.

There are currently 444 institutions designated by the NSA as NCAE-C. The NCAE-C program was created in 1999, and in 2024, the NSA will be furthering its commitment to high-quality cybersecurity education by increasing the number of Minority-Serving Institutions designated as NCAE-Cs by 10, including at least one HBCU.

ONCD is committed to greater diversity among internship applicants through increased recruitment and outreach to underrepresented communities, such as women, people of color, and people with disabilities. ONCD will identify unique outreach channels with a focus on reaching underrepresented communities and will create dedicated recruitment materials by the Summer 2024 intern application season.

NIST will award up to $3,600,000 for Regional Alliances and Multistakeholder Partnerships to Stimulate (RAMPS) cybersecurity education and workforce development projects. The Notice of Funding Opportunity for RAMPS is open to organizations that will bring together employers and educators to develop a skilled workforce to meet industry needs within a local or regional economy. NIST may fund up to 18 RAMPS awards. Additionally, in cooperation with Katzcy, a digital marketing firm, NIST supports the US Cyber Games to recruit, train, and develop the team representing the United States in international cybersecurity competitions. This program engages with over 2,000 individuals in the yearly U.S. Cyber Open and annually trains over 150 students though months-long U.S. Cyber Combine and Pipeline programs.

The Department of Labor announced a $65 million award in formula and competitive grants to 45 states and territories to develop and scale registered apprenticeship programs in cybersecurity and other critical sectors. Seven of these states and territories identified cybersecurity as one of their targeted sectors. DOL also made a competitive award to Utah to support the expansion of Registered Apprenticeship Programs for cybersecurity and other sectors. The Department also announced a new Registered Apprenticeship industry intermediary, Safal Partners LLC, that will specifically focus on launching, promoting, and expanding Registered Apprenticeship programs in cybersecurity.  

Additionally, DOL announced the availability of nearly $200 million in grants to continue to support public-private partnerships that expand, diversify, and strengthen Registered Apprenticeship in education, care, clean energy, information technology (IT), supply chain, and other in-demand industries. The funding opportunity includes $95 million of competitive grants through the second round of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Apprenticeship Building America Grant Program and $100 million in the second round of State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula Grants. The funding opportunities announced continue the Department of Labor’s commitment to providing all of America’s workers with access to training and career preparation that lead to good jobs with family-sustaining wages. These grants serve as another avenue toward strengthening the nation’s workforce development infrastructure to connect people from all communities to the good jobs being created by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. These funding opportunities are currently open, and the solicitations are available on grants.gov and apprenticeship.gov.

OPM will partner with federal agencies, the Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO) Council Recruitment and Outreach Working Group, and external, good-government groups to host a second Tech to Gov Job Fair by Q2 of FY2024. Further, OPM is conducting an occupational study to establish or update one or more occupational series covering Federal government positions in the fields of software development, software engineering, data science, and data management. OPM will explore Digital Career work in the Federal government to determine workforce needs and policy requirements supporting a Federal Digital Careers workforce. This study will identify the nature and scope of digital careers work and the skills needed to perform this work governmentwide. The results of the study will affect how Federal agencies attract, hire, and retain Digital Career professionals governmentwide. OPM’s Tech to Gov Working Group is also partnering with the US Digital Service to support tech hiring across government and cultivate a pipeline of skilled tech talent recruitment representatives, regardless of their job series.

VA announced a Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Program for Veterans: a two-year developmental program within the VA Cybersecurity Operations Center (CSOC) to provide a unique, hands-on learning and development experience for cybersecurity apprentices, and to encourage a career in the federal cybersecurity workforce. Program Apprentices will develop cyber knowledge and experience through mentoring, on-the-job training, and leading-edge training courses. The program is a registered apprenticeship with the Department of Labor and will begin recruiting and onboarding its first cybersecurity apprenticeship cohort in Q1 FY2024. The first cohort will consist of approximately five transitioning veterans coming from tech-specific Military Occupational Specialties (MOS), with the hopes of increasing capacity to 10. In addition, VA authorized a Special Salary Rate (SSR) for its technology and cybersecurity personnel in the 2210, 1550, and 0854 occupational series. This is an important step towards closing the growing gap between industry and Federal Government salary rates for technology and cybersecurity roles. The SSR represents an average increase of 17% in basic pay for VA’s highly skilled technical workforce who are dedicated to providing veterans and their families with the world-class benefits they have earned.

Each October, CISA’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month offers a focused opportunity to engage the public, businesses and other national and international organizations in learning essential cybersecurity tips and providing information, tools, public engagement opportunities and more for audiences at all levels. In 2022, Cybersecurity Awareness Month garnered more than 1,400 media mentions and included more than 120 CISA-wide speaking engagements—35 from CISA leadership—six regional trips, 111 social media posts with more than one million impressions, 7,300 downloads of the Partner Amplification Toolkit, and 108,000 page views of the 2022 landing page. Throughout the year, CISA encourages diversity in the current and future cyber workforce, expose young people to seek careers in cybersecurity, and bridge the current cyber gap with women in cybersecurity and tech through partnerships with groups like Girl Scouts of the USA, Girls Who Code, and Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS). CISA also manages a Federal Cyber Defense Skilling Academy to help civilian federal employees develop cyber defense skills through training in the baseline knowledge, skills, and abilities of a Cyber Defense Analyst (CDA).

HUD joined the Cyber Talent Initiative in July 2023 and partnered with the Partnership for Public Service to increase early career talent pipeline and recruitment effort. HUD’s Office of the Chief Information Security Officer (OCISO) is collaborating across all HUD Program Offices to get at least 50 placements in the next fiscal year. This initiative with enable participants a cybersecurity and information technology pathway into HUD by removing as many socio-economic barriers as possible. Participants will be provided opportunities to gain federal employment and hands-on job experience in an immersive environment while learning HUD’s mission, operations, and culture.

Cyber Civil Defense Initiative. In 2023, it doubled its $50 million commitment to cybersecurity causes. It has also issued 11 grants totaling over $12 million to non-profit organizations with programs that are well-aligned to many of the workforce strategy’s key objectives, including cyber capacity building; applied learning opportunities; diversity, equity, and inclusion; digital literacy; and more. This builds on the $48+ million craig newmark philanthropies had already delivered to organizations focused on cybersecurity workforce development, education, tools, and services.

WiCyS is committed to mobilizing its network to underscore the importance of diverse and highly skilled cybersecurity professionals to support the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy through four commitments: 1) create cybersecurity career accessibility and opportunities for upskilling and reskilling underrepresented groups; 2) continue the WiCyS Security Training Scholarship program by working with a multi-organization approach to invest in the talent pipeline; and 3) mobilize U.S. regions through WiCyS’s 60 professional affiliates and 220 student chapters with increased opportunity via conferences, events, and hosted engagements; and 4) build a cybersecurity ecosystem through industry engagement. Through these commitments, WiCyS expects to reach over 10,000 individuals.

UPDATE: WiCyS is a non-profit global community of over 9,000 women and allies in cybersecurity with 68 professional affiliates and 270 student chapters. Through its Security Training Scholarship, WiCyS is able to find hidden cybersecurity talent, upskill, and equip women with training and career placement services. WiCyS commits to accepting over 1,300 applicants into the training program in 2024.

Cybersafe Foundation will develop a cybersecurity ecosystem playbook specifically designed for the African continent based on the vision laid out in the National Cybersecurity Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy and the 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy. The playbook will promote diversity and inclusion and include lessons learned and best practices that support cyber workforce development. Cybersafe intends to use it to create opportunities for women and girls to excel in the cybersecurity field.

Over the last year, SANS and the National Cyber Scholarship Foundation (NCSF) expanded their partnership for CyberStart America and Cyber FastTrack, programs to inspire high school and college students across the United States to develop foundational cyber skills. In CyberStart, students utilize a transformative cyber education platform to solve challenges tied to real-world scenarios and build their core skills and knowledge, discovering a passion for cybersecurity in the process. For 2023-24, SANS and NCSF plan to engage over 50,000 students in gamified learning, with up to 5,000 receiving training and certification scholarships. Also, working with its non-profit, Government, and private sector partners, SANS plans to broaden, diversify, and strengthen the national cyber workforce through reskilling for career changers. These reskilling programs will provide over $9.2 million in training and certification scholarships to 500+ individuals, driving increased diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in cybersecurity across the nation.

In August 2023, CRI and CCTI will launch the Phased Critical Infrastructure Pilot: Resiliency for Water Utilities, providing up to 200 small water utilities with basic cybersecurity training and promoting a culture of cyber readiness.  Microsoft is sponsoring this initiative to help address the challenge of securing the nation’s water infrastructure from cyber threats. The pilot is based on the CRI’s Cyber Readiness Program, which is designed to assist small- and medium-sized businesses improve their cybersecurity risk management and their ability to respond and recover from a cybersecurity incident.  CRI and CCTI will also use the initiative to create a better understanding of the level of cyber readiness across water utilities.

Girl Security will unveil a new portfolio called All Secure, which includes the first comprehensive national security curriculum designed for dual enrollment for high schools and community colleges. As part of All Secure, Girl Security also launched the Workforce Futures Alliance, which will join youth alongside industry leaders to design strategies and outputs to develop the security workforce talent to its fullest potential. Over the next three years, the organization will expand current programming and implement new programs designed to activate 1500 new mentees, 1200 workforce fellows, and 10 million US learners through a targeted engagement strategy with more than 20,000 dual-enrollment high schools and 935 community colleges nationwide.

Trellix is committed to hiring 300 interns over the next two years. Trellix will also leverage career growth platform Gotara to advance the careers of 50 of Trellix’s high-performing women and is committed to offering roles to 12 employees via the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE).

SHRM is the foremost expert, convener and thought leader on issues impacting today’s evolving workplaces. With nearly 325,000 members in 165 countries, SHRM impacts the lives of more than 235 million workers and families globally. SHRM has committed to offering free cyber training content for HR professionals and aims to provide the training to at least 15,000 users, projecting that these users would lead to the hiring of up to 75,000 cyber professionals.

Omidyar Network is a self-styled “philanthropic investment firm,” composed of a foundation and an impact investment firm. It has committed $5 million dollars to support and expand cybersecurity and open-source security ecosystems, including work to ensure the next generation is informed and activated to engage across these technologies.

NPower is a workforce development non-profit. The organization commits to embedding cyber skills across all of its courses, primarily reaching young adults and military-affiliated individuals. NPower’s curriculum routinely includes digital literacy to advance skills in cloud computing, cybersecurity, software development, and network infrastructure. NPower also commits to training over 6000 individuals during the next three years and offering multiple on- and off-ramps to continued learning and fulltime employment, including through apprenticeships.

Additionally, NPower, a national nonprofit committed to broadening tech training opportunities for veterans, their families, and young adults, made waves with its expansion into North Carolina (NC) in 2023. Following a triumphant pilot program with 18 students in the spring of 2024, NPower NC is set to soar even higher. With a bold commitment to excellence, they aim to double the student enrollment in the upcoming year, extending tuition-free hands-on training and robust job placement support to an increasing number of participants each year.

TFM will be awarding cybersecurity scholarships to transitioning service members/Veterans and/or Military Spouses. TFM will fund 50 award recipients in the next year to pursue quality certification courses for career pathway entry in the cybersecurity ecosystem, with plans to expand the program in future years. TFM will also align the award recipients with employer partners who are committed to hiring the award recipients upon completion of the course.

Check Point Software committed to training one million individuals in cybersecurity skills by 2028 through its MIND Cyber Security Training Program, which offers free training kits to all educational organizations in the United States. In addition, the MIND Cyber Security Training Program will include training for instructors and teachers through the SecureAcademy program.

Microsoft and Black Tech Street have announced an unprecedented long-term alliance for Historic Greenwood, the neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma given the moniker “Black Wall Street” by Booker T. Washington for its abundance of affluent Black entrepreneurs.  Dubbed “The Digital Transformation of Black Wall Street to Black Tech Street,” this long-term alliance aims to restore Greenwood’s position as a national hub for Black talent and innovation with an initial focus on Cyber.

MassBay Community college plans to announce an increase in the number of cybersecurity professors, allowing an expected increase in MassBay cybersecurity enrollment by more than 40 students, and strengthening its cybersecurity program through the addition of a cyber range. Learners (on an annual basis) will include 45 students from a consortium of colleges, 60 high school students, and 135 employees from businesses, municipalities, school systems, and non-profit organizations from the Greater Boston region. NSF grant funding will assist the school in increasing the diversity of the cybersecurity workforce. The school is also applying for funding to build a Cybersecurity Center, to include the range, a Security Operations Center, and abundant space where college and high school students and employees from businesses, municipalities, school systems, and non-profit groups from the Greater Boston region can strengthen their cybersecurity skills.

Accenture is a global professional services company committed to reducing traditional barriers to employment and finding ways to increase pathways into cybersecurity roles. Accenture and Immersive Labs are partnering to fill one million entry-level jobs in the next decade by providing a free, robust cybersecurity platform that not only trains participants but also engages them in reality-based exercises to prove their skills, which unlocks jobs with hiring organizations within the platform. Recognizing the need for all people to have cyber skills regardless of their roles, Accenture will provide cybersecurity training to more than 700,000 of Accenture’s people in the next year. Accenture has met its goal to fill 20% of entry-level roles from its apprenticeship program and is on track to achieve a gender-balanced workforce by its 2025 goal.

NCA is kicking off the 2nd year of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Cybersecurity Career Program “See Yourself In Cyber.” “See Yourself In Cyber” aims to change the narrative around cybersecurity careers by showing students that there is a role in security for everyone and multiple pathways to a successful career. NCA is committed to raising awareness about cybersecurity careers and increasing opportunities for underrepresented students. In its first year, the program connected over 1,000 students with recruiters and professionals at on-campus events across nine schools, and 142 students have been paired with cybersecurity mentors. This fall, NCA will hold events at five HBCUs in September and November. Each event will feature both public and private sector employers, guest speakers and recruiters, as well as local law enforcement departments to show students the variety of career paths offered in cyber as well as opportunities available in their own communities.

The Aspen Institute’s Cybersecurity Program plans to make three commitments to coincide with the release of the strategy: 1) for cybersecurity education – Aspen will work with American University on a summary of openly availably government-issued cybersecurity resources; 2) for cybersecurity workforce development –  Aspen plans to publish a guidebook on best practices for cybersecurity employee development and retention; and 3) for digital literacy –  it will host the Aspen Cyber Summit in November in New York City and online to energize practitioners, students, and the public about cybersecurity issues, policy, opportunities, and more. 

Dakota State University (DSU) in Sioux Falls, SD is enabling high school students in South Dakota to take as many as 30 credits of university-level computer science coursework as dual credit through the Governor’s Cyber Academy program. Given the rural population in South Dakota, the courses will be offered online and at high schools across the state to serve students at public, private, and tribal schools as well as those who are home-schooled.  DSU anticipates 40 students will enroll in the Academy this fall, with the goal of 250 students annually by 2027. In addition, 83 South Dakota small businesses, including minority owned, veteran owned, rural and urban businesses, have enrolled in CyberSafe SD, a cybersecurity initiative sponsored by the U.S Small Business Administration designed to empower small businesses to safeguard against cyber threats. The businesses range from boutique single person businesses, to larger 300 employee businesses from sectors include manufacturing, healthcare, law, telecommunications, agriculture, education, entertainment, biotech, construction, retail, and tourism. Last, DSU is participating in CyberSkils2Work, which focuses on training military personnel and first responders in the domains of open-source intelligence and dark web investigations. The program has achieved remarkable success, surpassing projected enrollment by training over 300 learners to date, and plan to train 200 more participants this coming academic year. Its impact and effectiveness have been widely recognized, leading to securing additional funds to cater to the growing demand for such critical training.

ITSMF aims to raise the number of Black CISOs by 10% by 2026 and increase the cybersecurity workforce pipeline by the same percentage. The impact of ITSMF’s efforts results in industry innovation, growth, and thought leadership through increased representation of talented Black professionals in cyber and risk management at senior levels.

Mastercard is doubling down on its long-standing efforts to build the cyber workforce and drive security for our shared digital ecosystem. Mastercard will align its cybersecurity roles to the NICE Career Navigation structure to simplify career growth and develop a robust skillset across many cybersecurity domains. To support its own talent development, Mastercard will also create upskilling pathways for junior professionals mapped to this same NICE structure by 2024. Additionally, Mastercard will further its support of equipping American girls with foundational cyber skills through its commitment to educate 5 million students by 2025 with its flagship STEM education program, Girls4Tech™. Mastercard will also support access to free cybersecurity education, trainings, and resources for up to 10 million micro, small and medium businesses by 2025. The security of these businesses is critical and these resources, combined with our ongoing substantial investment, will help protect their ecosystem and our nation’s economy.

iKeepSafe will host online trainings for educators reaching 400 educators each month over the next year, utilizing the online training content found at no cost on the iKeepSafe website–Data Privacy in Education – an iKeepSafe Educator Training Course. This training will provide educators at all levels – teachers, administration, and support staff – with the necessary information to understand their role in helping to keep students and student data safe in an increasingly online learning environment.

Lightcast will provide quarterly data announcements on the size of the cyber talent needs, providing a more comprehensive, up-to-date picture of the cyber labor market. In addition, Lightcast will develop a skills-based hiring toolkit for employers to help companies implement skills-based hiring best practices in developing their cyber workforce. In addition, Lightcast is on track to get up to 900,000 unique users on the CyberSeek website this year.

(ISC)² achieved a significant milestone in its current pledge for one million individuals to receive (ISC)²’s new “Certified in Cybersecurity” certification. To date, over 265,000 people have enrolled and more than 27,000 individuals achieved this entry-level certification in less than 10 months.

In collaboration with the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics, Google.org has committed more than $20 million to help thousands of students receive hands-on experience in cybersecurity. This funding will support the creation and expansion of cybersecurity clinics at 20 higher education institutions across the U.S., and follows the launch of the Google Cybersecurity Certificate focused on preparing people for entry-level jobs in cybersecurity. For cyber clinics across the country, Google.org commits to providing expert Googlers as volunteers to serve as student mentors in collaboration with the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics and select universities. In addition to volunteers, the cyber clinics will receive access to the Google Cybersecurity Certificate, Google Titan security keys, and student mentorship opportunities from Google at no cost.

CrowdStrike will fill 300+ internship positions, fund ten $10,000 scholarships, expand upon its successful SkillBridge apprenticeship program, and continue to offer its “return-to-work” program focused on caregivers by Q1 2025. Crowdstrike is also committed to making training materials and resources more broadly accessible to help upskill users. Further, CrowdStrike continues the development of a Next Generation Leaders Program initially announced at ONCD’s roundtable on “The State of Cybersecurity in the Black Community” earlier this year, with an anticipated launch during the Spring academic semester.

Microsoft is partnering with Last Mile Education Fund, Whatcom Community College, and the American Association of Community Colleges to achieve its 2021 goal of helping skill and recruit into the cybersecurity workforce 250,000 people by 2025. To date, this effort has supported over 379 community colleges in 48 out of 50 states (nearly a third of all community colleges in the United States). This includes $1,177,000 in direct scholarship support to 2,378 students; $93,000 in additional voucher assistance; 50 faculty supported through capacity building community of practice; 28 academic/workforce professionals trained; and support over 60 cybersecurity classes in the upcoming 2023-24 school year, with content from curriculum partners CYBER.ORG and CodeHS.

SAP – the world’s largest enterprise software provider – will further its commitment to help close the cybersecurity skills gap by expanding its Global Security Early Talent program. This two-year program is designed for high-performing early career professionals, with little to no professional experience, who have a basic understanding of information technology and security topics. This builds on SAP’s ambitious digital skills initiative goal to upskill two million learners worldwide with technology skills by the end of 2025.

ConSol USA has innovated a demand-led, “ecosystem of ecosytems” model that engages under-utilized talent (such as non-degreed, veterans, women, people of color) in underserved communities, in line with the imperatives of the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy. ConSol USA has executed initial agreements, and is negotiating with other organizations, reaching a range of academic stakeholders including the University of Texas at San Antonio, George Washington University, and the University of California at Davis. ConSol USA is also engaged with USAA to reach military, veterans and their families. Through these efforts, ConSol USA is committed to directly hire and deploy a minimum of 11,000 cyber technologists nationally by 2027.

American University (AU) is committed to strengthening the cybersecurity workforce by continuing to expand access to hands-on cybersecurity training opportunities to all students, regardless of discipline. Through the newly launched Shahal M. Khan Institute for Cyber and Economic Security, and in collaboration with our global technology partner Cyber Range Solutions, AU is transforming cyber education by grounding technical cyber exercises in the context of national security and economic policy. In addition, AU announced its commitment to helping equip every American with foundational cyber skills.

Fortinet, as a continuation of its 2022 commitment to close the cyber skills gap, is making significant progress in deploying its information security awareness and training service which was customized for the education sector and made available at no cost to K-12 school districts and systems across the U.S.  To date, this initiative has been deployed across 33 states and is available in school districts and systems covering over 250,000 K-12 faculty and staff.  This initiative further contributes to Fortinet’s pledge to train 1 million people in cybersecurity by 2026.

IBM is committed to help skill 150,000 people in cybersecurity by the end of 2024. To help achieve this goal, and to contribute to a more diverse U.S. cyber workforce, IBM is partnering with 20 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to co-establish Cybersecurity Leadership Centers. Through these partnerships and programs, such as IBM SkillsBuild, IBM has provided more than 119,500 learners with cybersecurity training and will continue to build on its progress after reaching its goal.

UNLV has received funding from the federal government for cybersecurity education, enabling it to bring on fifty students per year as paid interns at its Free Cyber Clinic. Through this experience, students will get hands-on cyber experience from small business clients, training for the Security+ and Certified Ethical Hacker certifications plus exam fee support, and support for attending cybersecurity conferences such as DEFCON.

Western Governors University (WGU) committed to developing a skilled and robust national cybersecurity workforce. WGU currently serves almost 500 Nevada-based learners in its cybersecurity programs, and projections anticipate that they will accept and enroll over 550 additional students direct from Nevada into their cybersecurity degree programs over the next 12 months. Currently over half of the current cybersecurity student population from Nevada represents a traditionally underserved population, with a significant portion identifying as a first-generation student, and WGU is committed to continuing this trend. During the next six to nine months, WGU will make digital credential wallets available to its students to identify and showcase their skills, align its program to a variety of occupations, and support students applying for jobs with employers who are seeking skilled talent. WGU will also will continue its competency-based education approach with an emphasis on hands-on experience and problem-solving abilities.

CYBER.ORG supports the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy by focusing on K-12 cybersecurity education as the foundation for building success. In the next 5 years, across all 50 states, CYBER.ORG commits to: (1) develop 1,300 cybersecurity lessons, activities, competitions, games, and career resources; (2) engage with 50,000 educators and caregivers and provide cybersecurity content to teach students; (3) impact over 6 million students through teachers and caregivers; and (4) host 1,250 cybersecurity training events impacting 32,500 educators and caregivers. CYBER.ORG, , with support from school districts, the state department of education, and elected officials, will have a significant impact in the state of Nevada. Over the next year, CYBER.ORG will host or participate in three events in Nevada: DEF Con, Black Girls Hack Squad Con, and the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education Conference.  

BattleBots is announcing the creation of the Bot Builders Foundation, which will develop and lead the National BattleBots Collegiate and High School Championship.  This competition will impact hundreds of students nationwide, commencing in 2024. BattleBots also affirms its special commitment to empowering the local Las Vegas community through initiatives aimed at inspiring and engaging traditionally underrepresented youth in STEM disciplines. These endeavors will include educational field trips and impactful school visits, with the intention of reaching and positively influencing the lives of over 500 students during the upcoming academic year.

Fortinet is announcing its new Security Awareness Curriculum for K-12 students to help close the cyber skills gap and develop the cyber aware workforce of the future. Resources – crafted by former educators – include a comprehensive Teacher’s Guide, and classroom resources such as videos, handouts, and lesson plans. This initiative will be available at no cost to school districts and systems across the United States beginning in the Fall of 2023. This effort will help educate students to become the cyber problem-solvers of the future and ensure they are well-equipped to safely navigate the digital world. This curriculum can help over 55 million K-12 students across the country, including more than 500,000 students in Nevada, apply cybersecurity skills at school, home, and everywhere they go.

HP is increasing its free Future of Work Academy (FOWA) for Community and Technical Colleges to nearly 100 institutions and over 500 students from across the country, including community colleges in Nevada. FOWA equips students with career readiness through an interactive symposium, an innovation incubator, and a career accelerator. In addition, students will have increased opportunities with top tech firms recruiting for full-time positions and internships.

DruvStar has committed to providing paid internships to five UNLV students a year. This internship will enable these students to receive hands-on cyber work experience and financial assistance when attending cybersecurity conferences such as DEFCON. These interns will also receive DruvStar training on common cyber-attack patterns and on Artificial Intelligence technologies.

In the 2023-24 schoolyear, NCSF plans to provide gamified cyber learning to more than 800 students in Nevada from over 65 schools. Through public private partnerships, they anticipate over 80 students will receive more than $270,000 in scholarships to get industry training and certifications from the SANS Institute. Additionally, NCSF seeks to collaborate with leaders in Las Vegas and Reno to establish a state task force in Nevada to amplify the impact of cyber education programs across the state.

ThriveDX is committed to increasing employment and training opportunities for underrepresented and underserved communities in the cybersecurity field. In partnership with BlackGirlsHack, ThriveDX has formed and launched a cybersecurity scholars program concurrently with the launch of the National Cybersecurity Workforce and Education Strategy. This ThriveDX scholars program provides 25 learners from BlackGirlsHack with full tuition scholarships to participate in for the ThriveDX Cybersecurity Professional Certificate Training Program. This includes skills-based training, wrap around services, career support, and job placement. In addition, ThriveDX is announcing that it will extend their existing collaboration with the local community of Nevada through their partnership with UNLV’s Division of Educational Outreach. ThriveDX has committed to awarding 25 additional full tuition scholarships to lifelong learners in underserved, under-resourced, and US military veteran communities in Nevada. 

At Boeing, a leading global aerospace company, the digital revolution has created new demands for technical skills to align with the digital future of work. The Boeing Technical Apprenticeship Program (BTAP) is an accelerated, on-the-job, earn as you learn registered apprenticeship development program for those interested in gaining new job-ready technical skills for emerging and in-demand roles. BTAP participants receive paid, relevant work experience and are mentored by industry leaders while acquiring valued skills and on-the-job experiences. After a successful pilot program led to more than 10 high-quality and diverse employees hired across several states, BTAP launched a second cohort in July 2023 and is planning to expand the next round of apprenticeships to directly support Boeing as well as industry partners, preparing employees for jobs in Information Systems Security, Architecture and Cloud Security, Incident Response, and/or Product Security Engineering.

To ensure that U.S. organizations receive the certification-driven, skills-based training they need to develop their cybersecurity teams and achieve cybersecurity readiness, Cisco committed to training 200,000 people with cybersecurity skills in the U.S. by July 2025 through the Cisco Networking Academy. Cisco has also announced new Multicloud Certifications focused on connectivity and security to ensure IT professionals have the skills to protect companies from future cyber-attacks. In addition to providing security products and solutions, Cisco is addressing the critical need to close the cybersecurity skills gap at all levels by offering a continuum of learning through Cisco Networking Academy and Cisco U. Further, Cisco recently released a new Ethical Hacker course to prepare individuals for cyber offensive roles like Ethical Hacker and Penetration Tester. For tech professionals who want to reskill or upskill, Cisco Learning & Certifications, including the Cisco U. platform prepares learners for professional-level certifications up to expert-level bootcamps and role-based skills training. Cisco offers an industry-leading portfolio of technology innovations, with networking, security, collaboration, cloud management, and more.

The OCRI-RPC Ecosystem is committed to expanding its skills-based training on a secure cyber range to all 88 counties in Ohio. Housed at and administered by the University of Cincinnati on behalf of the state, the OCRI-RPC Ecosystem knits together 24 other Ohio universities, colleges, and non-profit organizations through a regional programming center system to deliver cyber range services to cybersecurity professionals and students across Ohio. The OCRI-RPC Ecosystem has supported, to date, over 20,000 distinct Ohio-based users through 314 K-12 classes, 668 higher education courses, and delivering 105 cyber camps, exercises, and bootcamps, the latter involving 1000 citizens seeking industry recognized cybersecurity credentials.

ICS Village (a non-profit organization to advance security awareness and education of industrial control systems (ICS)), SANS Institute (a global cybersecurity training, workforce development, certification, and education provider), Siemens Energy (a Siemens business that supports companies and countries to reduce emissions across the energy landscape for a more sustainable energy system), and their partners plan to launch the Cybersecurity & Industrial Infrastructure Security Apprenticeship Program (CIISAp) as a Registered Apprenticeship to develop the next generation of cyber defenders protecting the digitally connected systems such as energy assets, wastewater treatment facilities, advanced manufacturing, and transportation systems. The initial goal is to fill the pipeline with 100 candidates with a focus on veterans and transitioning military members. This four-year program would enable apprentices to apply their technical industrial cybersecurity education with moderate computer skills, and gain the hands-on experience and knowledge needed to fill existing cybersecurity vacancies that currently pay above $90,000 per year. Apprentices would gain job experience at a rotation of employers while receiving technical training, as well as completing hands-on exercises and industry certifications.

ISC2, an organization that provides training and certifications for cybersecurity professionals, will provide a minimum of 25,000 individuals working in Advanced Manufacturing with its foundational Certified in Cybersecurity certification exam and training for free to help address the sector’s critical cybersecurity skills gap. ISC2 will also introduce a series of 10 virtual forums over the next 2 years to explore solutions to the cybersecurity workforce challenges impacting the nation’s advanced manufacturing sector. 

Additionally, ISC2 supports the White House’s Military Connected Families Workforce Sprint and is dedicated to ensuring cybersecurity jobs are an integral opportunity for veterans and military-connected families. In support of this effort, and as part of its One Million Certified in Cybersecurity program, ISC2 will provide a minimum of 25,000 individuals among the military community with its foundational Certified in Cybersecurity certification exam and training for free to help address the sector’s critical cybersecurity skills gap. ISC2 partners with leading training providers and universities worldwide, such as N2K, Cyber Range Solutions and Haystack Solutions, to enable those in the military community to create new pathways into the cybersecurity industry.

Palo Alto Networks kicked off its 2023-2024 Secure the Future competition, which challenges 100 students enrolled in community and four-year colleges and universities throughout the country to identify and address cyber threats in vulnerable industries. To date, Palo Alto Networks has hired seven participants from the competition. The top three finalists are awarded cash prizes of $10,000, $5,000, and $2,500, respectively. The company also invests in educating and training a new cohort of early talent professionals and interns as members of its Systems Engineering (SE) Academy. It is one of several accelerated onboarding programs offered by Palo Alto Networks to help develop and diversify the cyber workforce and arm recent college graduates with hands-on labs and facilitated training with industry experts. As full-time members of the Palo Alto Networks workforce, program participants help organizations optimize their security posture. Palo Alto Networks recently welcomed a new cohort of systems engineers and is actively recruiting for 2024.

Credit card company Visa, a world leader in digital payment technology, has launched the Visa Payments Learning Program to diversify entry paths into the workforce with an initial focus on payments cybersecurity. Through its learning courses and certifications, Visa seeks to upskill underutilized talent, such as returning-to-workforce, early-in-career, second career, and military talent – thereby broadening the industry’s talent marketplace. Visa’s initial introductory Payments Cybersecurity training courses and certifications will be offered to three groups: students via partner institutions, Visa clients, and Visa employees, apprentices and interns. Visa has welcomed an initial cohort of apprentices, who have undergone 16-weeks of specialist training and have recently embarked on a one-year apprenticeship. Visa also plans to develop intermediate and advanced level courses and certifications in 2024, and ultimately provide educational pathways to both local communities and to the broader payments industry.

Access Living is committed to launching an Independent Living Technology Program to address the gap in digital skills in the disability community with the goal of reaching 150 disabled participants by the end of 2024. Participants will identify an independent living goal to achieve using technology like looking for work, job training, or accessing information and services. They will then attend Access Living’s disability centered technology training course and receive one-on-one support. Upon completion, participants who need it will be given their own laptop or tablet and a year of free internet access. Funding for this program is in part from a federal grant. Access Living is also committed to expanding its consulting and training services to include a team of certified digital accessibility specialists, all of whom have disabilities themselves. The team aims to improve internet and digital product accessibility not just for Access Living’s clients but overall by centering lived experience with disability in its consultation, evaluation, and remediation of websites, portals, apps, and other digital content and interfaces to ensure they meet or exceed accessibility standards.

MxD is a Chicago-based national advanced manufacturing institute that includes nearly 300 partners from industry, academia, non-profit organizations, and government to help manufacturers improve their operations and drive productivity improvements.  MxD, in collaboration with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, created the Cybersecurity for Manufacturing Operational Technology (CyMOT) program to increase the security of U.S. manufacturers from cyber-attacks by providing role-based training to the next generation of cybersecurity workers in manufacturing.  The 60 hour live-instruction course series targets roles in Artificial Intelligence engineering and cybersecurity and has been utilized by MxD partners including Boeing, Dow, and Rolls-Royce to provide more than 175 current and future workers with skills unique to securing the manufacturing floor. The CyMOT course series is tailored to meet the needs of each learner, including current manufacturing workers looking to upskill and future workers still learning the basics.  MxD commits to use the CyMOT curriculum and other courses to train, certify, and provide employment opportunities to underserved students at community colleges and historically Black colleges and universities across the United States.

The College of Lake County (CLC) in Grayslake, IL commits to using funds received through a federal grant to convene a group of 50 manufacturing employers and grow the manufacturing sector by expanding education and training, including cyber skill development, in the second largest manufacturing county in the state of Illinois. CLC also commits to expanding its Advanced Technology Center (ATC), dedicated to Industry 4.0 training and education, to incorporate critical, complementary workforce needs such as cybersecurity, data analytics, mechatronics, and robotics.

Task Force Movement (TFM) prepares Transitioning Service Members, Veterans, including disabled Veterans, and Military families with the tools they need to engage in cybersecurity career pathways via scholarships and public private partnerships. In addition to the 50 scholarships TFM previously announced it will award over the next year, TFM is committing to expand this effort to directly support state and local leaders in implementing their own Task Force Movement programs, starting with two states in the first year.

CyberSkills2Work, a nationally scalable program based at the University of West Florida and supported by a coalition of 10 National Centers of Academic Excellence-designated higher ed institutions across the country, commits to adding 1,520 cybersecurity professionals to the nation’s cyber workforce over the next two years.  The program also commits to expanding its support from active duty and transitioning military personnel to first responders, military spouses, women, underrepresented minorities, and government personnel. The program will offer 22 additional training pathways that prepare learners for 16 cybersecurity work roles and 17 industry certifications. A $2.5 million NSA expansion grant funds this effort.

NIWC, a regional consortium of 11 community colleges connected to local workforce boards, commits to develop an IT training program to prepare individuals for entry to cybersecurity certificate and degree programs from which graduates have the appropriate knowledge to thrive in this sector. The approach intends to remove barriers, accelerate entry into highly specialized cybersecurity careers, and create greater access to a diverse talent pool for the IT industry.

The Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CyManII) has committed to developing and launching a new education and training program for advanced manufacturing professions that will reskill up to 10,000 students through an Introduction to ICS Cybersecurity training for the manufacturing sector. This commitment supports the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy, in addition to the Sprint.

Will leverage a $1 million Regional Innovation Engines Development award from the National Science Foundation to catalyze local academic and industry partnerships around a growing regional cyber workforce, including supporting expanded training and internship opportunities and transitioning research to practice to foster creation of new businesses, especially minority- and veteran-owned businesses. 

(CCAC) expects to train at least 50 students in advanced manufacturing, building automation systems, and cybersecurity programs in the next year at its recently opened Center for Education, Innovation, and Training, which was completed using funding from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

Kubota, an equipment manufacturing firm, will use earn-and-learn opportunities including paid internships, and partnerships with technical schools, high schools, and universities on certificate, diploma, degree programs, and adult education across every area of its business, including to create a cyber-resilient workforce to secure Kubota’s advanced manufacturing systems. Kubota made $457 million in facility investments in the last year and announced plans to fill over 1,300 new jobs in Georgia and Kansas.

Eaton intelligent power management company whose work crosses advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and infrastructure—will offer paid co-op and internship opportunities with hands-on training in cybersecurity, and will invest $100,000 over the next three years in Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) CyLab Security and Privacy Institute to support multi-disciplinary cybersecurity research and education, building on its existing $350,000 investment.

The University of Pittsburgh Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security will help build a strong pipeline of cybersecurity professionals by training over 500 high school students in cybersecurity basics, ethics, and career opportunities by 2028.

Pearson VUE is committed to helping address the need for qualified cyber professionals in the workforce through its global network of 5,500 test and training centers. Pearson VUE will offer its IT Specialist in Cybersecurity training resources and certification exams at no charge to all learners in its network of learning and assessment centers across Pennsylvania and Ohio. Initially focusing on Pennsylvania and Ohio, Pearson’s commitment will also support US Military installations worldwide, enabling participating centers to train and prepare more qualified individuals for cyber careers.

Additionally, Pearson VUE, the certification and licensure arm of Pearson, the world’s leading learning company, is committed to helping address the need for qualified cyber professionals in the US workforce. To demonstrate this commitment, Pearson VUE made its IT Specialist: Cybersecurity training resources and certification exams available at no charge to its network of learning and assessment centers across Pennsylvania and Ohio. Pearson now commits to extend this offer to include North Carolina with additional US locations to follow in future months, including US Military installations worldwide, enabling participating centers to train and prepare more qualified individuals to begin working toward a robust career in cybersecurity.

Beginning in Fall 2024, admissions eligibility to the CIC at NDU will expand to include senior non-commissioned officers (NCOs) serving in the US military on Active Duty or in the National Guard. Offerings will feature tuition-free Cyber Workforce programs, including a part-time Master of Science (MS) degree and various Graduate Certificates.

CompTIA, a globally recognized advocate and voice for the tech community with industry-leading certifications and courses, launched the CompTIA Cybersecurity Trustmark program in March 2023. This program consists of 177 industry-accepted security safeguards pulled from six global frameworks. Already, there are over 800 Managed Service Providers (MSPs) from 27 countries in the program, and CompTIA is committed to expanding that to 1,400 by the end of 2024. Additionally, CompTIA Spark, the social impact nonprofit supported by CompTIA, is utilizing free in-school curriculum and other innovative programs to expand the possibilities of tech careers among middle school students. With a goal of serving 1 million students by 2030, CompTIA Spark is helping build a future pipeline of diverse talent by offering programming that spans from tech fundamentals to the latest in cybersecurity and other cutting-edge, emerging technologies.

Dragos, an industrial cybersecurity company, commits to furthering its investment in America’s cyber workforce within the utilities sector through the expansion of its newly launched Community Defense Program. They commit to reaching over 5,000 new under-resourced US-based utility providers in 2024-2025, equating to approximately $250M in total benefits offered. The program provides free access to Dragos Academy’s ICS/OT cybersecurity training, the Dragos Platform, and other assets that will arm the utility provider’s cyber workforce with the tools needed for success.

Edwards, a Maryland-based woman owned small business, remains integrally involved in Maryland organizations that champion cyber education/jobs and legislation, including the Cybersecurity Association of Maryland, Inc. and the Community College of Baltimore County Cybersecurity Advisory Board. As the only organization fully certified to support the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) – a unified standard for implementing cybersecurity across the defense industrial base – Edwards commits to nearly doubling the professionals trained in 2024, enabling more than 1,000 professionals to become CMMC-certified. Additionally, Edwards commits to hire more than 10 junior cybersecurity consultants, using Edwards senior cyber-SMEs for coaching and mentoring, while leveraging the Maryland EARN Program to enhance their skills through free, ongoing education.

Evolved Cyber, a provider of cybersecurity services for businesses, is launching the MSP Cybersecurity Exchange (MSPCyberX), a collaborative community uniting managed service providers (MSPs) and cybersecurity compliance experts. Functioning as a continuously updated repository, MSPCyberX will organize compliance information by industry to offer an educational hub for its member MSPs. Recognizing that MSPs support an estimated 75 – 80% of US small to medium-sized businesses, MSPCyberX will focus on educating and supporting MSPs in compliance, fortifying a critical piece of the nation’s cybersecurity. MSPCyberX commits to launch in February 2024 with a goal of over 100 MSPs on board by the end of 2024.

GDIT is committed to training the cyber workforce of the future to support the missions of the U.S. defense, intelligence, and civilian government agencies. Specifically, in 2024, GDIT will both facilitate cybersecurity education for 20,000 employees and upskill over 1,000 employees with cyber certifications and learning courses. Further, GDIT will continue to invest in building local innovation ecosystems in St. Louis, New Orleans, and other cities by engaging non-profits, academia, small businesses, and emerging technology companies to fuel the expansion and diversification of the cyber workforce.

The Gula Tech Foundation, sponsored by cyber industrialists Ron and Cyndi Gula, has demonstrated a multi-year commitment to the recruitment and training of America’s cyber workforce. By referring to the industry as the “Data Care” industry and providing critical support, expertise, and networks, the Gula Tech Foundation has enabled dozens of nonprofit organizations to employ appropriate cyber knowledge and skills, particularly those that seek to diversify the cyber workforce, with over $6M in grants. In 2024, the Gula Tech Foundation is committing an additional investment of $2M for cyber workforce developments focused on expanding access to apprenticeships.

Katzcy PlayCyber, a woman-owned small business based in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region, is committed to fostering a more diverse, skilled, and resilient national cyber workforce by creating a Cyber ESport league that reaches thousands of professionals in 2024. Katzcy PlayCyber’s Wicked6 Global Women’s Hack and Chat will be held virtually on March 29, 2024 and will include a unique 24-hour hack and chat featuring six cyber games for an expected 2,000 women to hone their cyber skills. Throughout 2024, Katzcy PlayCyber will extend the US Cyber Games program with the commissioning of an all-women’s US Cyber Team (ages 26 and up) to call more women and girls to cyber through gaming. The team will compete within the first global women’s cyber league launch in April of 2024. Through these commitments, Katzcy PlayCyber expects to reach over 10,000 individuals in 2024.

NCG builds and delivers effective cyber security vocational training curricula by training in a hands-on environment through a hybrid of classroom and apprenticeships in a live, working Security Operations Center. NCG is committed to training 10,000 new entrants to the cyber security field by 2025. NCG engages and recruits students reflective of our nation and is committed to supporting a diverse and highly skilled cyber workforce. NCG supports veterans directly by offering cyber training scholarships so they may continue to serve in national security as they transition to the civilian cyber workforce. 

NCA is committed to building the resilience of the small- and medium-sized business (SMB) community in the face of increasing cyber risk. The NCA is launching its first cohort of the Cybersecure My Business education program, a program that focuses on training the owners and leaders of SMBs on how to manage cyber risk as a function of their business. This program is launching in late February 2024 as a live, instructor-led, and virtual course paired with practical actions participants will complete between weekly training sessions. As a part of this commitment, the NCA commits to reaching over 100 businesses throughout 2024 and will gather metrics on the specific actions taken by the SMBs completing the course.

Okta, an identity and access management company, is committed to building a robust, diverse, and highly-trained cybersecurity workforce for the future. In support of this commitment, Okta is investing in a $1.6 million philanthropic fund for organizations that are creating inclusive pathways to technology careers for underrepresented communities. Second, Okta is providing 5,000 educational grants to professionals not currently employed looking to make a career transition to cybersecurity by growing their skills. These grants will focus on military spouses, veterans, and tech workers.

Peraton, a technology company that provides space, intelligence, cyber, and defense capabilities for government entities, is committed to doubling its apprenticeships and hiring more than 200 interns in 2024. This program will entail placing students on tasks with an emphasis on developing the next generation’s cyber workforce. Internships will focus on cybersecurity skills, engineering, software development, database management, and security threat analysis, with an aim to providing a path to careers in a dynamic technological environment. In addition, Peraton will expand its community college partnerships on cybersecurity and establish a program in 2024 to assist young and mid-career professionals to transition to cyber careers.

San Diego CCOE assists employers seeking to audit and address their organizations’ cybersecurity postures. With funding from California’s CADENCE grant, CCOE is partnering with the City of San Diego Regional Cyber Lab, Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, and Amazon Web Services to create “My e-CISO”, a generative AI application that grades an organization’s current cyber posture and provides recommendations for actionable steps for improvement. CCOE and the San Diego Regional Cyber Lab commit by the end of 2024 to assist more than 200 under-resourced organizations in the Southern California region to better understand their cybersecurity posture and needs with the “My e-CISO” tool. 

TeamWorx Security, a defense, cyber, and critical infrastructure professional services and technology support company is committed to growing the cyber community through training and upskilling 1,000 non-technical personnel by 2026 across the U.S. military, government, and critical infrastructure labor force. Additionally, TeamWorx Security is continuing to support internship positions across high school, college, and DoD Skillbridge candidates. Through training and technology, we are purposefully reducing the complexity of cyber to make it more accessible to a diverse workforce. TeamWorx Security’s cloud-based cyber workforce collaboration platform, Hive-IQ, will be used to onboard an additional 5,000+ cyber professionals by 2026 across the military, government, and critical infrastructure.

The Technology Advancement Center (TAC) is committed to providing key operational technology (OT) infrastructure cybersecurity training through non-profit programs and conferences. Events, such as Hack the Port, Hack the Hospital, and Hack the Railroad to name a few are designed to provide real-world learning to college students, military professionals, and other USG cyber professionals using actual products and services in the field. TAC’s platform has already trained thousands of students in real life scenarios and is expanding over the next two years to host an anticipated eight conferences and impact over 10,000 students and professionals.

The NIST NICE program, charged with energizing and promoting a robust ecosystem of cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development launched the Cybersecurity Career Ambassador Program to create a network of “ambassadors” to prepare, grow, and sustain the cybersecurity workforce. The Ambassador Program supports the NICE Strategic Plan by helping build cybersecurity career awareness and expanding a national workforce that is both knowledgeable and skilled in cybersecurity. Over the next year, the Ambassador Program aims to identify over 200 ambassadors across the United States.

In service of its mission to support and continually improve national transportation infrastructure within the modern, digital environment, DOT is committed to attracting, developing, and retaining cybersecurity and information technology talent. This is to include leveraging the diverse backgrounds and accrued experience of veterans and their families. The DOT Pathways Internship Program provides both on-site and virtual opportunities for training and mentorship that prepare participants for lifetime careers in the IT industry. In FY24, DOT commits to increase its paid internship slots from 3 to 12 and continue to convert a set of interns into full time employees.

BCR Cyber, a leading provider of cybersecurity training, testing, certification, and job placement services, has trained, certified, and placed over 2,000 entry-level information technology (IT)/cyber workers with state, local, and industry partners using funding from the Maryland Department of Labor’s Employment Advanced Right Now (EARN) grant program. Over the next two years, BCR Cyber commits to train and place an additional 3,000 individuals. BCR also aims to replicate the Maryland EARN model and expand nationally, focusing its initial expansion efforts on Virginia.

The Black Cybersecurity Association (BCA), a non-profit organization founded by an HBCU graduate dedicated to facilitating underrepresented minority entry into the U.S. cybersecurity field through training, professional development, and networking, commits to securing gainful employment for 300 African American citizens in calendar year 2024. BCA strives to increase diversity in cybersecurity and works with multiple HBCUs, including Howard University and Morgan State University, as a part of their education and workforce development efforts. BCA plans to expand to additional HBCUs, including schools in Virginia.

The Minority Technology Foundation pledges its continued dedication to promoting cybersecurity education and training initiatives for the well-being and future success of underserved communities. The Minority Technology Foundation is committed to providing accessible and comprehensive cyber education to 500+ youth and young adults over the next 24 months with an understanding of cybersecurity principles that go beyond theoretical knowledge, ensuring that each program participant may acquire practical, hands-on experience in cybersecurity tools, tactics and techniques, best practices, and related career opportunities available to them.

VetSec, a non-profit that provides low and no-cost training, education, employment, and transition assistance to active-duty, reservists, Veterans, and members of the National Guard seeking cyber careers, is committed to providing educational pathways to meaningful employment to over 10,000 people by the end of 2025, and to 25,000 by 2028. In addition to the direct commitment, VetSec provides a lifelong community for military Veterans in information technology (IT) and cyber. It is dedicated to supporting its members throughout their careers and life journeys.

AWS is collaborating with Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) to include AWS Academy Cloud Security Foundations as a course in the Computer Information Technology Cloud Management associate degree program by the spring of 2025. The collaboration is part of AWS Academy, which provides higher education institutions with a free, ready-to-teach cloud computing curriculum that prepares students to pursue industry-recognized certifications and in-demand cloud jobs. Over 500 colleges and universities in the United States, including 20 in North Carolina, offer AWS Academy courses, and AWS Academy has trained more than 1 million learners globally.

Deloitte provides professional services to a wide array of private sector organizations and public sector agencies. Since 2020, Deloitte has been proud to co-host Waypoint, an annual mentorship and recruitment event that connects veterans with careers in technology-related fields, including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and many other cutting-edge ventures. In 2024, Deloitte and its alliances commit to increase veteran attendance by 20% to 65 attendees and increase veteran nonprofit support by 40% to 7 organizations, while providing tailored programming for female veterans and military spouses.

KSE, a woman owned tech company dedicated to training the next generation workforce, developed a pioneering neurological-based approach to cybersecurity education through its KSE Ecosystem. In the Cyber Technician Certification (CTC) program, entry-level professionals undergo comprehensive training over 12 months, acquiring stackable job skills crucial for navigating the cybersecurity landscape. KSE commits to offering 100 scholarships to veterans, facilitating a seamless transition into cyber-based careers post their military service. The next cohort commences on Thursday, April 17, 2024 and culminate in a Cybersecurity Career Fair.

OffSec, a global leader in continuous cybersecurity workforce development and learning, is committed to supporting the next generation of cybersecurity professionals by making training courses and content more widely available and accessible. OffSec created the Cyber Diversity in Action (CDIA) Program and commits to provide $1 million in scholarships for OffSec’s certifications and training programs over the next five years to help bridge the diversity gap and support underrepresented groups in cybersecurity and information security. OffSec also funds and maintains Kali Linux, the leading operating system for penetration testing, ethical hacking, and network security assessments.

Rapid Strategy, a North Carolina based cybersecurity firm renowned for its innovative solutions and commitment to excellence, is dedicated to building a diverse cybersecurity workforce with the goal of protecting our national security and homeland while making a meaningful societal impact. Rapid Strategy commits to hire 5 interns annually for the next three years through a Skill Bridge partnership and support collaborations with organizations focused on minorities and veterans from the local community including NPower and NC-PACE, to train 10 individuals annually for the next five years.

The University of Florida’s GCREC, a center that provides research solutions to growers for numerous commodities grown in Florida, commits to establishing and growing the Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) over the next three years. The GCREC will be a research and development hub focused solely on using AI and robotics to address production limitations identified by the agricultural and natural resource industries. Cybersecurity will be infused across the hub’s efforts through a collaboration with the Florida Institute for Cybersecurity Research. The Center for AI facility will have 35,000 square feet, which will include a state-of-the-art research shop equipped with everything needed to design and build robotic technologies for agriculture and meeting spaces to be used as a central hub for training in AI and robotic technologies. GCREC expects to hire 15 faculty, 50 graduate students, and 100 additional personnel to support the new Center for AI.

The 502 Project is a non-profit that partners with educational institutions, community groups, and industry leaders to provide a more inclusive and accessible gateway to the cybersecurity community through national virtual events, community-developed challenges, and access to subject matter experts from teenage whiz-kids to Chief Security Officers. In addition to supporting camps, clubs, competitions, and colleges through their social platform, the 502 Project commits $500,000 to research effective community-grounded education in the cybersecurity ecosystem, culminating in a public report in January 2025. As part of this effort, the 502 Project will also scale its community to at least 20 participating partners and 2,500 active members nationwide.

Girls Who Hack, a non-profit committed to bringing more diversity to the cybersecurity workforce, commits to educating over 500 girls over the next two years with free online and in-person classes that teach girls hacking skills so that they can change the future. To expand this mission further, Girls Who Hack is also creating a new initiative to extend the reach of their in-person classes by bringing in female industry leaders to both teach and inspire more students with a continued focus on providing resources to underprivileged areas.

Raíces Cyber is a non-profit dedicated to creating accessibility to cybersecurity careers and opportunities through upskilling and reskilling the Hispanic, Latino, Latina, LatinX, and allied communities. Raíces Cyber commits to providing free training, education, and exposure to cybersecurity for at least 10,000 individuals over the next two years. Raíces Cyber is enhancing a pipeline for non-degree professionals to enter cyber careers by expanding the Raíces Cyber Academy, including offering an additional 750 industry certification scholarships to deserving students and strengthening the Raíces Cyber Youth Corps.

Kyndryl Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Kyndryl, announced on March 19, 2024, that it selected 11 non-profit organizations in seven countries, including the United States, to receive its inaugural grants. One category of selected grantees addresses the increased demand for trained cybersecurity professionals by providing skills and placement programs for underrepresented learners and job seekers. The other category of awards supports the grantee’s cyber resiliency through education and consulting. The inaugural grantees include U.S.-based non-profits Girl Security, CodePath, and NPower.