Pathway to Advance Cybersecurity Technician Education

North Orange County Community College District, Anaheim CA

Investigators

Abstract

This project aims to address the national challenge of increasing the number and skill-level of U.S. cybersecurity professionals. Over the past 30 years, the U.S. economy has shifted from a manufacturing-based economy to one that is more dependent on services, information, and technology. One resulting outcome is the emergence of cybersecurity as a critical, high-demand, high-paying profession. This project aims to improve cybersecurity technician education by enhancing students' STEM knowledge, as well as ensuring that students gain the technical skills and competencies needed to enter the cybersecurity workforce. The project aims to provide a streamlined cybersecurity education pathway from high school into high-paying careers in the cybersecurity industry, particularly for nontraditional, at-risk, and returning high school students who may lack academic preparation or have financial need. The primary focus of this project is on high school teachers and students, and community college faculty and students (certificate-level and associate degree-level). The overall goal is to develop a cybersecurity education pathway that has multiple entry points and multiple exit points from which students can enter cybersecurity jobs. The specific aims are to enhance cybersecurity curricula, develop high school/college dual enrollment courses, and develop college-level cybersecurity badges and certifications. The project activities are designed to enhance articulation and alignment of cybersecurity education between high schools and colleges, and support teaching of the cybersecurity curriculum by providing professional development activities for secondary school teachers and college faculty. Through outreach activities, the project intends to introduce secondary students to the cybersecurity field, anticipating that many of these students will begin cybersecurity training in high school. These high school courses will build a foundation from which high school graduates could compete for entry-level cybersecurity jobs or pursue higher levels of cybersecurity education. The project will establish a framework for industry internships for students and increase student employability in cybersecurity by awarding digital badges and preparing students to obtain industry certifications. The project will disseminate best practices in implementing cybersecurity guided pathways to the educational community, including the Southern California Community College Consortium and the National Center for Cybersecurity Education. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.