Create regional alliances and the multi stakeholder partnerships to leverage collaboration to create cybersecurity workforce ecosystem in the northwest indiana region

This Cooperative Agreement award from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under the Science, Technology, Business and/or Education Outreach program (CFDA 11.620) provides $299,653 to Purdue University to create a cybersecurity workforce ecosystem in the Northwest Indiana region. The project aims to develop a sustainable pipeline for the cybersecurity workforce through guided education, training, skill development, and scholarship programs. Key activities include coordinating multi-stakeholder partnerships between academia and industry, aligning training to the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework, and conducting analysis to identify gaps and build awareness. Expected outcomes include increasing diverse talent in the cybersecurity workforce, expanding the pipeline, strengthening cybersecurity education pathways, and improving workforce competencies, with a focus on reaching underrepresented and underserved groups. The project period runs from Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2026 and includes a $15,000 subaward to Ivy Tech Community College.

Purpose

The purpose of this project is to create regional alliances and the multi stakeholder partnerships to leverage collaboration to create cybersecurity workforce ecosystem in the northwest indiana region. The partnership will be led by a consortium of partnerships that include academia and industry to provide course trainings and curriculum to address the shortage in the cybersecurity workforce. The project aims to develop workforce competencies by employing strategies that prioritize diversity, inclusion and accessibility.

Activities

The proposed project includes coordination and execution by creating a sustainable pipeline for the cybersecurity workforce, through guided education, trainings, skill development, and scholarship programs. Events and trainings will be aligned to the nice frameworks. Additionally, an analysis will be conducted to identify gaps or areas in which feedback might inform the organization on how to improve efforts and build continued awareness.

Expected outcomes

There are multiple expected outcomes for this proposed project. The success in this project will result in the increase of diverse talent in the cybersecurity workforce, expand the cybersecurity workforce pipeline, strengthen cybersecurity education and the pathways, improve workforce competencies, develop scholarships, and expand multi stakeholders in the northwest indiana region. Other expected outcomes are to collaborate with the academia and industry to develop cybersecurity programs that will target underrepresented groups and underserved groups such as veterans, low-income individuals, and underrepresented minorities.

Intended beneficiaries

Feedback from the evaluations and they will be shared and distributed at the nice community, conferences and published on a project website. K-12 students, IVY tech students and participants in the cybersecurity workforce programs will benefit by receiving trainings, educational resources, and competencies that will contribute the cybersecurity talent pipeline. The nice framework will be integrated as a program objective aligning with all proposed activities.

Subrecipient activities

Subawards to IVY tech community college ($15,000).