As the nation’s cybersecurity workforce continues to face a critical shortage, a bipartisan, independent group of lawmakers is pushing to enlist the Department of Labor to help address the problem.
The Cyber Ready Workforce Act would direct the DOL to create a grant program that supports “the creation, implementation, and expansion of registered cybersecurity training programs,” according to a press release announcing the bill’s introduction this week.
“As cyber attacks become more common and sophisticated, we need to ensure that we have workers with the training and skills necessary to protect our online resources and the information of the American people,” Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., one of the bill’s sponsors, said in a statement. “This bipartisan legislation will help fill gaps in our cybersecurity workforce and will open up access to good-paying, low-stakes jobs for Nevadans, regardless of whether they have a college degree or not.”
Another deputy, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, said in a statement that the law will provide “targeted support” for businesses, colleges and non-profit organizations that need more cyber security. The nation’s “critical talent shortage” in cyber “poses a serious threat to our national security and economic growth,” the Tennessee Republican said.
Tuesday’s introduction of the legislation isn’t Rosen and Blackburn’s first bite at the apple, but previous efforts stalled in the Senate. This time, the senators included the supporters of the House – Reps. Susie Lee, D-Nev., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa. – to the top. It also comes at a time when the Trump administration has ordered the DOL to do more with research and technology.
Lee said in a statement that in Nevada alone, there is a shortage of 4,000 cybersecurity professionals. Some estimates put the nationwide cyber labor shortage at nearly half a million jobs.
“Whether you know it or not, cyber security … affects all of us, from small businesses, to utilities, to our national security. But we don’t have enough talent to fill these jobs.” Lee said. “This bill will help ensure we don’t fall behind when it comes to cybersecurity, while putting Nevada at the forefront of the most in-demand, high-impact and high-paying jobs of the future.”
According to a fact sheet posted on Lee’s congressional website, the bill asks the Department of Labor to provide grants to “employee intermediaries” that will expand the number of registered cybersecurity apprenticeship programs.
Grant money should be used to develop curricula and provide technical instruction. It can also lead to marketing and recruitment programs, support services like career counseling and counseling, and help with things like transportation, housing, and childcare costs.
The law also encourages grant recipients to connect and collaborate with labor intermediaries in business, non-profit and educational matters. Coordinating resources for cyber learning programs should ensure that state investments do not lead to duplication of efforts, according to the fact sheet.
“The ongoing shortage of cybersecurity professionals has exposed our country to a major vulnerability, which threatens our economy and national security,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement. “Now, more than ever, a strong cybersecurity workforce is needed to protect our interests at home and abroad.”
Addressing the cybersecurity workforce shortage has been a priority for many lawmakers over the past few years, with legislation seeking to create online grants at two-year colleges and minority-serving institutions, creating new online training programs, providing funding to CISA for minority recruitment efforts and more.
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