Vets-cyber aims to build a strong cybersecurity alliance to advance career opportunities for veterans in georgia and north florida

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) awarded a $302,389 Cooperative Agreement under the Science, Technology, Business and/or Education Outreach program (CFDA 11.620) to the University of Florida to establish the VETS-CYBER program. The goal of this 2-year initiative is to build a cybersecurity career pathway for veterans in North Florida and Georgia by providing specialized training, hands-on experience, and industry apprenticeships aligned with the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework. Key activities include developing a cybersecurity curriculum, implementing a community-based apprenticeship model, and assessing the program's effectiveness to support broader adoption. The project aims to enhance diversity and inclusion in the STEM workforce while strengthening national cybersecurity capabilities through veteran career transition and development. There are no planned subawards under this Cooperative Agreement.

Activities

The vets-cyber program will develop and implement a cybersecurity curriculum based on the nice framework, focusing on veterans in north florida and georgia. The initiative will establish a community of practice-apprenticeship model to enhance veterans' cybersecurity skills through hands-on training and internships with industry partners. Additionally, the program will assess its effectiveness and disseminate its findings to support broader adoption and improve workforce diversity in cybersecurity and hardware security fields.

Expected outcomes

The vets-cyber project is expected to enhance diversity and inclusion in the stem workforce by providing specialized hardware security training for veterans, particularly those from diverse backgrounds. IT aims to support veterans' transition into civilian careers while strengthening national cybersecurity defenses. The initiative will also improve veteran education infrastructure and advance technological literacy, with extensive dissemination of resources to raise awareness and engage the community in veteran development.

Intended beneficiaries

The intended beneficiaries of the vets-cyber project are veterans, especially those from diverse backgrounds in north florida and georgia, who will gain specialized training and career opportunities in cybersecurity.

Subrecipient activities

There are no planned subawards.