NICE eNewsletter Fall 2016

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National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) eNewsletter

Fall 2016

Welcome to the NICE eNewsletter

Welcome to the fall edition of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) eNewsletter. This edition’s featured article focuses on dual credit and dual enrollment programs which provide a jump start on college work, illustrate a new path to competency and degrees in cybersecurity, and advance the NICE strategic goal to Accelerate Learning and Skills Development. Our Spotlight on Academia describes the Cyber Pathways Across Maryland (CPAM) consortium which is part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) Grant Program. The Spotlight on Industry focuses on the evolution of cybersecurity career fairs and highlights a few that are upcoming. The Spotlight on Government illuminates the U.S. Department of Energy funded Consortium Enabling Cybersecurity Opportunities and Research’s (CECOR) efforts to increase the K-20 pipeline for the cybersecurity workforce through its support of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. We look forward to seeing you at the National K-12 Cybersecurity Education Conference, October 6-7, in Arlington, Virginia, and the NICE Annual Conference & Expo on November 1-2, in Kansas City, Missouri. I am personally very grateful for all the great work by our Collegiate and K-12 subgroups as we coordinate, collaborate, and increase the quality and quantity of academic activities in cybersecurity with the ultimate goal of increasing the available workforce. We hope you enjoy this eNewsletter, and find ways to participate in NICE’s many initiatives.

Davina Pruitt-Mentle

NICE Lead for Academic Engagement

Regional Alliances and Multistakeholder Partnerships to Stimulate (RAMPS) Cybersecurity Education and Workforce Development

Awards for this funding opportunity have been provided to the following regional programs:

Southwest Region: Arizona Statewide Cyber Workforce Consortium
Western Region: Cyber Prep Program
Central Region: Cincinnati-Dayton Cyber Corridor (Cin-Day Cyber)
Mid-Atlantic Region: Hampton Roads Cybersecurity Education, Workforce, and Economic Development Alliance (HRCyber)
Northeast Region: The Partnership to Advance Cybersecurity Education and Training (PACET)

Featured Article

Cybersecurity Dual Credit and Enrollment Programs

by Prem Uppuluri, Joe Chase, Jeff Pittges, Rick Keiffer, Radford University, Virginia

The NICE Strategic Plan, as part of its goal to “Accelerate Learning and Skills Development,” looks for creative and innovative examples that “advance programs that reduce the time and cost for obtaining knowledge, skills, and abilities for in-demand work roles.” This goes hand in hand with the goal to “Nurture a Diverse Learning Community,” by “improving education programs, co-curricular experiences, and training and certifications,” as well as, “facilitating the development and dissemination of academic pathways for cybersecurity careers.” This article focuses on dual credit and dual enrollment programs which provide a jump start on college work in the area of cybersecurity. The programs allow high school students to enroll in and obtain credit for college level courses while still attending high school. Read More

Key Dates

National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) October 2016

National K-12 Cybersecurity Education Conference October 6-7, 2016

CyberMaryland
October 20-21, 2016

NICE Annual Conference & Expo
November 1-2, 2016

National Apprenticeship Week
November 14-16, 2016

more dates

Transformational Change Through TAACCCT Grant Program

by Frank Skinner, Consortium Director for Cyber Pathways Across Maryland

The critical need for both public and private cybersecurity professionals is a driving factor behind workforce planning and emerging training programs at both the two and four-year level. One source of grants for design and implementation of new programs is the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) Grant Program. Read More

The Evolution of the Cyber Talent Fair

by Scott Cassity, Managing Director of GIAC at SANS Institute; Maxwell Shuftan, CyberTalent Business Development Manager at SANS Institute; Kathleen Smith, CMO at ClearedJobs

Heard this before? “There aren’t enough qualified cybersecurity candidates for my company’s open positions.” Or the corollary, “I have my degree and certifications but can’t find an entry level position!” Career fairs can resolve these difficulties. Read More

The Consortium Enabling Cybersecurity Opportunities and Research

by Cory Stafford-Jackson, Program Manager, NNSA Minority Serving Institutions Program, Leadership & Workforce Development Division, Learning & Career Management

Cybersecurity defense has been identified as an area of critical need by the Departments of Energy, Education, and Defense as well as by the President of the United States. The Consortium Enabling Cybersecurity Opportunities and Research (CECOR) funded by the Department of Energy is a collaborative effort among thirteen colleges and universities and two national laboratories to develop a K-12 pipeline for the cybersecurity workforce. Read More

This year the National Security Agency and National Science Foundation GenCyber program sponsored 130 GenCyber camps. Through these camps, nearly 5,000 students and 1,000 teachers were reached across the nation.

Since the release of the NICE Challenge WebPortal earlier this year, the challenges usage has exploded. Expect to see these numbers grow as the project is advertised at cyber education conferences year-round.

The following subgroups have been established and have begun to align their group activities to the NICE Strategic Plan: K-12, Collegiate, Competitions, Training and Certifications, and Workforce Management.