Current
Inaugural Cybersecurity Pathways Cohort
Part of Cybersecurity Pathways
Audiences
Learning Environments
The Need for Cybersecurity Talent
There are more than 1 million unfilled jobs in the cybersecurity industry in the United States currently—a number projected to grow to 3.5 million in three years. To address growing demand, Digital Promise and Paradigm Cyber Ventures co-created a national initiative across nine states to bring a proven cybersecurity program to schools to to co-create pathways to gainful employment for youth, in partnership with their communities.
Where Are They Now?
Learn how two districts in the cohort created cybersecurity programs to meet the needs of their students and engage industry and postsecondary leaders.
Our Process
Collaborative Innovation in Action
The Inaugural Cybersecurity Pathways Cohort engaged 11 districts in the intentional design and implementation of a three-year Cybersecurity Pathway to create opportunities for all students.
Digital Promise’s Collaborative Innovation process [link] was used to adapt established cybersecurity programs through a new lens to ensure that the courses intentionally ensure access and participation for all youth.
Aligning on Priorities
To start the process, districts focused on developing teams that brought together a range of students, community members, and educators to build Cybersecurity Pathways programs for their district. The teams began by creating a community charter to drive their work. Some of the challenges they identified to guide the design of their program included:
Challenge 1
Students need hands-on experiences and an opportunity to earn dual credit and industry credentials and engage with industry professionals to join the cybersecurity workforce successfully.
Challenge 2
All students need exposure to different cybersecurity fields, intentional recruitment to attain various credentials, and hands-on learning experiences in order to pursue employment and postsecondary opportunities in high-demand technological fields.
Challenge 3
Students need a multi-tiered program to educate, support, and engage all stakeholders (students and families) around digital literacy to prepare scholars to meet the future needs of cybersecurity fields via school experience, mentorship, and practical project application.
After grounding the work in their challenge statements, the teams created commitments to inform how they would work collaboratively and center youth opportunity in the course design. Across the board, districts demonstrated commitment to building programs that supported all youth in not only seeing themselves in a lucrative and rewarding career field, but also becoming leaders in their community beyond the school walls.
By employing elements from each phase of Collaborative Innovation, the district leaders expanded their course development process to fully integrate community, industry, and student voice.
The Collaborative Innovation process really enhanced the way we are building this program and helped me think intentionally about how to create ... pathway[s] for students.
Let's Collaborate
Rethinking workforce development is essential. Digital Promise is committed to partnering with communities to strengthen pathways that expand opportunity for every learner.
Participating Districts
Alabama’s Cybersecurity Pathways Expansion
Learn how the success of Talladega County Schools’ cybersecurity pathways program grew into a regional cross-sector alliance in partnership with Digital Promise.