The White House has launched the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy (NCWES), a far reaching and comprehensive campaign to help fill hundreds of thousands of cyber vacancies across the U.S. with qualified staffers.
Biden Administration officials said the initiative involves making “generational investments” to set up the nation to lead the digital economy. The NCWES is positioned to “empower every American” who wants to work in a cyber environment. The idea is to pare the “vast number of vacant cyber jobs,” officials said.
Accordingly, candidates can qualify for many cyber jobs through a certificate or community college degree.
Group Effort Around National Cyber Strategy
The NCWES, which ties to Biden’s National Cybersecurity Strategy released last March, was developed in consultation with non-governmental stakeholder groups, including private industry, academia, non-profits, government partners, and others. At the opening gate, nearly 40 entities had committed to support the endeavor.
At this early point, many of the stakeholders, including educators, industry and government, have already demonstrated their commitment to the NCWES through their actions and partnerships, officials said.
Said the White House said in a fact sheet on the project:
"The NCWES emphasizes that no one actor can alone affect the needed change at scale. This means all stakeholders — including educators, industry, government, and more —must all execute on the objectives set forth in this strategy.”
Guiding Principles of the National Cyber Strategy
As with Biden’s National Cybersecurity Strategy, the NCWES project has three goals, or what it calls “guiding imperatives” and four “pillars” as its foundation.
The imperatives include:
The four pillars include:
Equip Every American with foundational cyber skills.
Transform Cyber Education.
Expand and Enhance the National Cyber Workforce.
Strengthen the Federal Cyber Workforce.
Cyber Experts Endorse Strategy
Some cybersecurity experts commented on the NCWES program:
Said Sherron Burgess, Cyversity strategy vice president:
"The National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy sets a direction for both workforce and education, while taking an ecosystem-focused approach. The Biden Administration’s strategy also represents an innovation in transforming cyber education, which is absolutely necessary in engaging underrepresented groups through new and existing initiatives."
Candy Alexander, ISSA International president, praised the initiative:
"The Biden Administration's strategy is exactly what the industry needs and addresses what we have been advocating for: the collaboration of education institutions, government programs, corporate organizations, and the cyber association communities to build pathways to bridge the gap between pure education and employment."
