Cooperative agreement for the nevada cybersecurity workforce alliance (nvcwa) (with the women?s society of cyberjutsu):purpose: cybersecurity competitions not only build a better workforce, but they…

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) awarded a $300,000 Cooperative Agreement to the Women's Society of Cyberjutsu (WSC) under the Science, Technology, Business and/or Education Outreach program (CFDA 11.620). The purpose of this 2-year project is to develop an initiative that empowers underserved and underrepresented populations, including women and minorities, to explore careers in the cybersecurity industry. The key activities include coordinating with community partners to recruit, train, and prepare students for cybersecurity and technology careers through a series of competitions, courses, and trainings aligned to the NIST Cybersecurity Workforce Framework (NICE). The expected outcomes are to facilitate job placements and mentorships for participating students, while also providing insights to inform updates to the NICE Framework and other career awareness efforts.

Activities

The proposed project includes coordination and collaboration with community partners to recruit, train, and prepare students for careers in the cybersecurity and tech industries. Students will participate in a series of cybersecurity competitions, courses, and trainings where they will acquire technical skills and competencies for job placement. Events and training materials will be aligned to the NIST and nice frameworks and will map individual skills and roles to the framework. The advisory team will conduct an analysis, looking for any gaps or areas in which program outcomes might inform updates to the nice framework and other career awareness-building efforts.

Expected outcomes

Success in this project will result in job placement and mentorships for students exploring careers in cybersecurity. The expected outcomes will provide insight on the tasks, knowledge, skills, and competencies required in the cybersecurity workforce. The expected outcomes are to build community and mentorship for students interested in cybersecurity roles and to encourage individuals with the capacity to obtain certifications and acquire in-demand skills for the cybersecurity workforce.

Intended beneficiaries

The public will have opportunities to participate in cybersecurity games, events, webinars, and apprenticeships to gain technical skills, obtain certifications, and network for future job placement.

Subrecipient activities

There are no planned subawards for this project.