Career accelerator cybersecurity program

Amarillo College was awarded a $240,392 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Undergraduate Education under the STEM Education federal grant program (CFDA 47.076) to create a Cybersecurity Career Accelerator Program. The program will develop a 10-week, module-based curriculum to provide students with the skills needed for entry-level cybersecurity employment. It will target two-year college students, adult learners, and underrepresented minorities. The program aims to address critical workforce needs for cybersecurity technicians in the Texas Panhandle by leveraging existing resources to create an accelerated pathway to cybersecurity careers. It will engage K-12 students to encourage pursuit of computer information systems careers and provide a model for accelerated training in other high-demand fields.

Abstract

This project will address a critical need for workforce-ready cybersecurity technicians in the texas panhandle. The cybersecurity industry has entered a danger zone in which (1) cybercrime is becoming increasingly sophisticated, (2) the systems and devices that need security are becoming ever more complex and interconnected, and (3) the cybersecurity workforce is experiencing an unprecedented shortage of qualified technicians. These issues highlight the need for programs with focused curricula that enable students to quickly obtain the fundamental skills and certifications considered essential by the cybersecurity industry. To address this need, amarillo college (AC) will create a cybersecurity career accelerator program that will target two-year IHE students, adult learners, and underrepresented minorities. Creating a diverse pipeline of trained professionals in this field of study is not only important in the private sector but is also a matter of national security. This project will leverage existing curricula, materials, and resources that will adapted to a nimble, 10-week, module-based program that will provide students with the skills needed to gain entry-level employment in the cybersecurity industry. AC will partner with a team of public partners in education, workforce development, economic development, and industry to seek input into the curriculum development process and stay abreast of industry trends. The program will provide students with an accelerated pathway to employment anywhere in the region, state, or country. The program will engage area middle- and high schoolers to encourage pursuit of careers in computer information systems (CIS) through a CIS summer camp and success 360. The project will provide a model for accelerated pathways to gainful employment in high-demand sectors and can be replicated for other industry certifications. Project results, lessons learned, and new materials developed will be shared with the cybersecurity and ATE communities, thereby contributing to the cybersecurity education knowledge base. This project is funded by the advanced technological education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.