Taking Cybersecurity Education to Congress

In a world more digitally connected than ever, cybersecurity education needs to be available to every student in every class in America.

Cybersecurity education leader Nikki Hendricks represented UT Austin and the nationally recognized WeTeach_CS program at the first Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) Tech Workforce Educational Fly-in event in November in Washington, D.C.

Hendricks and nearly 100 others met with congressional staffers from the offices of more than 50 senators and representatives to urge funding and legislation opportunities that would support alternate pathways into technology careers. Twenty states and the District of Columbia were represented among the educators, nonprofit representatives, and academics who made the trip.

“The computing workforce pipeline begins with dedicated and well-prepared computing and cybersecurity teachers,” said Hendricks, who is part of the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) of UT Austin. “I talked with congressional staffers about how programs like WeTeach_Cyber can be replicated across the country.”

“We are absolutely thrilled with the results of the Fly-in event!” said Nancy Hammervik, CompTIA Chief Workforce Solutions Officer. “Congressional staffers were receptive to our suggestions, our attendees had many opportunities to network and foster relationships, and several are now working together to build workforce programs.”

Hendricks and other educators met with staffers from the offices of Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR); Joe Courtney (D-CT); Jim Himes (D-CT); Burgess Owens (R-UT); and Maxine Waters (D-CA) to state the importance of educating high school students as they are at the beginning of the workforce pipeline. Bonamici is a member of the Committee of Education and the Workforce and a member of the Congressional STEAM Caucus, while Owens is chairperson of the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and the Workforce.

CompTIA’s message was clear: Unlock the full potential of the U.S. economy by hiring tech workers from non-traditional backgrounds like tech bootcamps, high school training, summer camps, and workforce development programs that include earning certifications to validate learned skills.

“Schools are having difficulties offering cybersecurity courses because industry professionals aren’t moving into the education realm. The best investment Texas can make is to ensure we attract, prepare, and retain highly skilled educators to give Texas students the chance to consider a career in technology.”

More than 46,000 cybersecurity-related jobs are available in Texas alone. Nationwide, a supply-demand gap of 315,000 trained cybersecurity workers to available jobs currently exists, according to cyberseek.org.

“Schools are having difficulties offering cybersecurity courses because industry professionals aren’t moving into the education realm,” Hendricks said. “The best investment Texas can make is to ensure we attract, prepare, and retain highly skilled educators to give Texas students the chance to consider a career in technology.”

“Moving forward, CompTIA would like to see employers be more open-minded to hiring people with certifications that validate skills and not simply searching for college graduates,” Hammervik said. “Technology is more of a skill and a trade than a course of study, and competency-based learning and certifications can open doors to great careers.”