The Talladega County Board of Education (TCBOE) has led powerful partnerships in the East Alabama region with employers, nonprofits, universities, and government agencies to create opportunities for gainful employment for students. In 2023, TCBOE launched their cybersecurity program as a part of Digital Promise’s Inclusive Cybersecurity Pathways Cohort. Through the initiative, they built a workforce pathway for rural, diverse students to gain credentials and employment in cybersecurity after graduation.
Recognizing the significant impact of students’ career readiness in the advancement of the East Alabama regional economy, TCBOE and their employer partners were motivated to expand access to cybersecurity career pathways within the region across the Etowah, Cherokee, Calhoun, Cleburne, Talladega, Clay, and Randolph counties. Now, through the East Alabama Regional Cybersecurity Alliance (EARCA), rural areas have the opportunity to strengthen the region’s economy by creating viable Cybersecurity employment opportunities through the creation of a cybersecurity workforce ecosystem.
Data from Cyberseek indicates that Alabama faces a shortage of cybersecurity professionals to meet the expected job openings in the field. The state recorded more than 11,000 cybersecurity job openings and over 3,000 of these positions required a CompTIA Security+ credential, a global certification acquired by paying for and passing a rigorous examination.
Despite the workforce talent gap, the opportunities are plentiful. According to a regional workforce report, the most lucrative careers fall within Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM), Information Technology (IT), and Finance, offering an average annual salary of $80,000. Additionally, IT and STEM careers are listed as Demand Occupations that provide a living wage for residents in East Alabama.
Through EARCA, this initiative addresses both the cybersecurity industry’s need for new talent and creates pathways for students furthest from opportunity to gain workforce skills for the future.
For the past year, business and university partners have been collaborating to ensure that students have access to mentors, internships, and post-secondary opportunities, which are key components of the Cybersecurity Pathways program. TCBOE and Digital Promise will expand the work of the current cybersecurity advisory board into a regional workforce alliance with support from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Goals of the program are:
With funding from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, EARCA will build on the partnership between local industry, universities, and TCBOE in creating career pathways for underrepresented students in cybersecurity. In addition to a cybersecurity pathway program for high school students, EARCA will establish a workforce pipeline connecting the K–12, post-secondary, and workforce sectors with support from community and government agencies in East Alabama. Championed by major employers in the region, multiple formal partnerships have already been established, including:
Talladega College (CAE)
Talladega College is Alabama’s first private historically Black liberal arts college. In 2022, IBM announced a collaboration with Talladega College during the National HBCU Week Conference to help establish a virtual Talladega College Cybersecurity Leadership Center.
First National Bank
First Bank of Alabama has been operating for more than 170 years in Talladega, Alabama and the surrounding area.
Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement
SAFE is a community-based nonprofit organization whose purpose is to provide meaningful opportunities for families, to contribute to the growth of the community, and to promote community cohesion. SAFE is developing the East Alabama Rural Innovation and Training Hub (EARTH), which will focus on preparing East Alabama’s workforce for on-demand jobs in K–12 education, agriculture, hospitality training, IT, and healthcare.
East Alabama Works!
East Alabama Works!, organized by the Alabama Department of Commerce and AIDT, is a not-for-profit organization that supports the workforce needs of Region 2 in the state.
Talladega County Commission
Local government body that oversees and coordinates across government services, including courts, safety, and public works.
Talladega College (CAE)
Talladega College is Alabama’s first private historically Black liberal arts college. In 2022, IBM announced a collaboration with Talladega College during the National HBCU Week Conference to help establish a virtual Talladega College Cybersecurity Leadership Center.
First National Bank
First Bank of Alabama has been operating for more than 170 years in Talladega, Alabama and the surrounding area.
Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement
SAFE is a community-based nonprofit organization whose purpose is to provide meaningful opportunities for families, to contribute to the growth of the community, and to promote community cohesion. SAFE is developing the East Alabama Rural Innovation and Training Hub (EARTH), which will focus on preparing East Alabama’s workforce for on-demand jobs in K–12 education, agriculture, hospitality training, IT, and healthcare.
East Alabama Works!
East Alabama Works!, organized by the Alabama Department of Commerce and AIDT, is a not-for-profit organization that supports the workforce needs of Region 2 in the state.
Talladega County Commission
Local government body that oversees and coordinates across government services, including courts, safety, and public works.
Funding provided by the National Institute of Standards and Technology through the Regional Alliances and Multistakeholder Partnerships to Stimulate (RAMPS) Cybersecurity Education and Workforce Development (RAMPS Program) 2024-NIST-RAMPS-01.
Center for Inclusive Innovation