Education DCL: eager: developing sector-specific cybersecurity training programs: what are the benefits to students and employers?

This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (CFDA 47.076 - STEM Education) provides $204,171 to the Research Foundation of the City University of New York (RFCUNY) to develop sector-specific cybersecurity training programs focused on the healthcare industry. The project aims to create a pipeline of well-trained, diverse workers prepared for frontline cybersecurity jobs in healthcare, which is facing significant staffing challenges due to the high number of cyberattacks and data breaches in the industry. RFCUNY is utilizing a sectoral partnership model to contextualize its existing cybersecurity training program to the healthcare sector, working with regional employers, community colleges, workforce agencies, and other stakeholders. The project team is also documenting this cybersecurity sectoral approach in the form of a how-to guide and partnering with other local colleges to adapt the training program to other sectors, such as small businesses, non-profits, and local government. This award, which runs from October 2024 to October 2025, reflects the NSF's mission to support STEM education initiatives that prepare students for in-demand careers and contribute to scientific and technological progress.

Abstract

Healthcare organizations have a great need for a well-trained cybersecurity workforce. The healthcare industry continues to experience high numbers of cyberattacks and data breaches and healthcare organizations have responded by strengthening their cybersecurity programs, but they continue to face significant challenges, the biggest of which is a lack of cybersecurity staff. New york city has a robust, high-paying tech workforce accounting for 7% of the total jobs in the city. Cybersecurity jobs are expected to grow significantly in the area. Thus far, african americans, latinos, and women have been underrepresented in the NYC tech workforce. The project team is creating a pipeline of well-trained, diverse workers prepared for frontline cybersecurity jobs in healthcare. The project team is utilizing a sectoral partnership model to contextualize the college's existing cybersecurity training program to healthcare. Sector partnerships are regional collaboratives that bring together multiple employers within an industry to collaborate with community colleges, schools, labor, workforce agencies, community organizations, and other community stakeholders to align training with the skills needed for that industry to grow and compete. Sector partnerships have resulted in improved outcomes when compared to other forms of workforce development. The project team is documenting their cybersecurity sectoral approach in form of a how-to guide and is partnering with other local colleges to contextualize their cybersecurity training programs to other sectors such as the small business sector, non-profit sector, local government sector, and more. Thanks to the NIST cybersecurity framework, much work has already been done to differentiate the cybersecurity workforce by task. This project is adding a secondary layer of workforce specialization by industry. This specialized, sector-based training ensures that local employers have access to the cybersecurity talent they need. IT also ensures that underrepresented populations have access to in-demand and lucrative cybersecurity careers. 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.- subawards are not planned for this award.