Gearing Up for National Cybersecurity Career Awareness Week Federal Resources

Are you ready for National Cybersecurity Career Awareness Week?

National Cybersecurity Career Awareness Week, brought to you by the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), is an opportunity for government, business, education, community-based organizations, students, and workers to inspire, educate, and engage citizens to pursue careers in cybersecurity. The week-long campaign provides an opportunity to learn about the contributions and innovations of cybersecurity practitioners, and the plethora of job opportunities that can be found when exploring cybersecurity as a career choice.

We’re asking members of the NICE community to spread the word by using the hashtags #cybercareerweek and #mycyberjob. By doing so you’ll be joining a national movement to elevate and expand the conversation around the positive impact in building the cybersecurity workforce in America.

Here is just some of the federal partner resources and activities to help advocate for pursuing a career in cybersecurity:

Department of Education: Nominations Open for Inaugural Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award

Nomination period closes January 31, 2020

The Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award will be presented to two educators, one elementary and one secondary, who instill in their students the skills, knowledge and passion for cybersecurity and related subjects. Award recipients will embody the expertise and dedication of educators who are critical to strengthening the nation's cybersecurity workforce.

Recipients of this honor will receive acknowledgement by the President of the United States and Secretary DeVos, public recognition as a leader in the field of cybersecurity education, as well as professional development opportunities.

Educators from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, all U.S. territories, Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools, and tribal areas are eligible. Anyone may nominate an educator for this honor; self-nominations are permitted as well.

To learn more, visit the links to the press release, application process, and video of Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor to the President, Admiral Pete Brown. 

Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA): Education for Cybersecurity Careers Resources

As cyber threats continue to evolve, the nation’s protection against them relies on a steady stream of qualified cybersecurity practitioners entering the workforce. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is committed to helping educate the nation’s students in cybersecurity to develop a more resilient and capable cyber nation. The following resources are supported by DHS. 

• Teachers: Learn more about professional development opportunities and information you can use to motivate and educate students of all ages to consider cyber careers. You can also access free lesson plans.
• Students: When it’s time to decide where to go college, view a list of more than 300 academic institutions that the National Security Agency and DHS have designated as Centers of Academic Excellence for cybersecurity-related degrees. You can also learn about scholarships and government employment opportunities through the CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service (SFS) program.
• Academic Institutions: Colleges and universities interested in further developing their cyber-related degree programs can become a National Center of Academic Excellence. Additionally, institutions can recruit the best and the brightest by offering scholarship and job placement assistance through participating in the CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service (SFS) program.

Department of Labor: Apprenticeship, CareerOneStop, O*NET OnLine, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics Resources

These are just a few of the Department of Labor resources for cybersecurity career exploration and job analysis.

CareerOneStop

Learn about careers, find career information, and locate career resources and advice with CareerOneStop. A career profile is a great place to start your career research. Visit the Occupation Profile to see details for any one of more that 950 careers.

O*NET OnLine

O*NET OnLine is another tool for career exploration and job analysis! The O*NET OnLine tool has detailed descriptions of the world of work for use by job seekers, workforce development and HR professionals, students, researchers, and more! You can search by Keyword or O*NET-SOC Code. It also includes a list of technologiesfrequently included in employer job postings and a MyNextMove for veterans.

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Explore industries included in Industries at a Glance arranged in North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code.

Apprenticeship.gov

Career Seekers: Are you looking for apprenticeship opportunities?

Employers: Do you want to explore how building an apprenticeship program will help grow your business? Visit Apprenticeship.gov, the one-stop source for all-things apprenticeship.

National Cybersecurity Career Awareness Week and National Apprenticeship Week are held during the same week. Explore the apprenticeship resources or search for cybersecurity on the apprenticeship finder portal.

NICE WEBINAR: Cybersecurity Career Opportunities with the Federal Government  

November 13, 2019 at 2-3pm EST

According to CyberSeek.org, there are nearly 20,000 cybersecurity job openings in the public sector. The cybersecurity jobs available in the federal government cover the range of occupations from Cyber Defense to Intelligence to Investigations. During National Cybersecurity Career Awareness Week, we want to expose employers, education and training providers, and learners to the variety of cybersecurity career opportunities available in the United States Federal government workforce. This webinar will identify some of the resources available to help job seekers, secondary school counselors, and collegiate career navigators to discover career opportunities with the federal government and will also be a resource to supervisors, faculty, and other mentors who help guide individuals to pursue careers in cybersecurity. Register today at nist.gov/nice/webinars.