Area students interested in gaining a foothold in cybersecurity will get a boost from a $494,175 National Science Foundation grant awarded to Front Range Community College and St. Vrain Valley Schools.
The funding will support the opening of a Pathways in Technology Early College High School, or P-TECH, program in cybersecurity. The grant was awarded as part of the NSF’s Advanced Technological Education program, which focuses on education for high-technology fields that drive the nation’s economy, according to a joint news release from FRCC and the school district.
The cybersecurity P-TECH program will allow students to earn an associate degree alongside their high school diplomas — at no cost to students. Students will apply to begin the program in ninth grade and graduate in four to six years. The initiative will include FRCC, St. Vrain Valley School District, and a collaboration of industry partners including Seagate, Cisco and Comcast.
“We’re thrilled to be included in this project,” Joan Motsinger, senior VP of business excellence at Seagate, stated in the release. “We need young, talented people in the cybersecurity industry and this is an innovative way to get there. Working locally with high school students and helping them prepare for future opportunities in technology is exactly what is needed today.”
The vast majority of cybersecurity jobs require at least an associate degree. To address the skill needs of businesses, the course of study for the new P-TECH program will be developed in collaboration with industry partners, according to the release. Students will receive work-based learning opportunities, including site visits, industry mentoring and paid internships.
“Cybersecurity is critical to almost every industry,” FRCC President Andy Dorsey stated in the release. “That’s why jobs in this arena are plentiful in Colorado — and they pay well. When our P-TECH students complete the FRCC cybersecurity program, they’ll be highly qualified to get good jobs right out of high school.”
This is the third P-TECH program in St. Vrain Valley School District and the second developed in partnership with FRCC. Through the program, FRCC and St. Vrain are working to increase Colorado’s workforce capacity in cybersecurity and other tech industry sectors, according to the release.
According to a 2019 report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the U.S. currently faces a cybersecurity workforce shortage of about 314,000 workers out of a total national cybersecurity workforce of 716,000; by 2022, that gap is expected to reach 1.8 million unfilled positions, according to the release.
The P-TECH program is designed to increase diversity in the cybersecurity workforce pipeline by recruiting students earlier in their educational careers. It also will increase student engagement and workplace success skills by providing meaningful industry work experiences, and improve student preparedness by providing industry-aligned coursework, the release stated.
“We are creating opportunities that are not only giving our students a strong competitive advantage for their future, but also supporting a robust technology industry and a thriving economy in our community,” Don Haddad, St. Vrain superintendent, stated in the release. “We are incredibly appreciative of our partnership with Front Range Community College and our industry partners, such as Seagate, Cisco and Comcast, in working together to address the growing need for a strong cybersecurity workforce.”
The Cybersecurity P-TECH program will be housed at Silver Creek High School and student recruitment will begin this fall. The first-year cohort of 30 to 35 students will enroll in fall 2021, a second year cohort of 30 to 35 students in fall 2022, with future cohorts increasing to 50 to 60 students per cohort (based on student demand).
“We are excited to work with St. Vrain Valley Schools and Front Range Community College in developing a new workforce pipeline in cybersecurity,” Nick Nielsen, fellow at Comcast, stated in the release. “Cybersecurity touches just about everything we do — we need more people with skills and training to protect our online information. This is a perfect way to start young people on a fun, interesting, and important career pathway.”
