With more than half a million unfilled cybersecurity jobs nationwide in the United States, private companies and the federal government are focusing their efforts to fill this gap by changing their hiring strategies and encouraging careers in information security.
Recently, the White House Office of the National Cybersecurity Director (ONCD), in collaboration with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), announced the “Service for America” initiative, which is part of the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy (NCWES).
The primary goal is to recruit and prepare Americans for jobs in cybersecurity, technology, and artificial intelligence (AI). The initiative aims to create accessible career paths by removing degree requirements and focusing on skills-based hiring.
To that end, the program promotes work-integrated learning, such as registered apprenticeships, which allow individuals to earn money while learning new skills. And on the AI front, while it’s seen as having the potential to fill some of the perceived gaps in the workforce, human cybersecurity doesn’t appear to be a role that’s going away anytime soon – for most AI and related tools, a human element is still essential to decision-making.
