Using the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) Model to Build the Future Cybersecurity Technical Workforce

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Keeping computers and information systems secure is a critical need and a major challenge. To meet it, business, industry, and government need well-prepared technicians who can prevent, detect, and investigate cybersecurity breaches. The growth of cyber-threats has created a need for many more workers who have the knowledge and skills to protect digital infrastructure. For example, in Boulder County, Colorado, the location of this project, an analysis in 2019 found more than 800 open cybersecurity positions. In this project, Front Range Community College and St. Vrain Valley School District, along with industry partners, will collaborate to develop and implement a Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program in cybersecurity. This project is expected to build a diverse pipeline of cybersecurity technicians to address the significant regional workforce shortage. The P-TECH model was pioneered in 2011 by the New York City Public Schools in partnership with IBM and the New York City College of Technology. The P-TECH model provides students with a high school diploma, an associate degree in a high-demand technical field, and significant industry work experience, at no cost. Front Range Community College, St. Vrain Valley School District, and IBM launched the first P-TECH program in the western United States in 2016, focused on the field of computer information systems. This project will develop a new P-TECH program in cybersecurity. A primary goal is to provide underrepresented students, including first-generation college students, minority students, and girls, with a strong pathway into the technology industry.The new cybersecurity P-TECH program will be implemented through a partnership involving Front Range Community College, St. Vrain Valley School District, and several major companies. With college coursework beginning in students' 9th Grade year, this project will provide participants with a high school diploma, an associate degree with a concentration in cybersecurity, and significant industry experience, all within four to six years and at no cost to the students. The project will serve two cohorts of 30 students over the project period, with the intent of expanding cohort size to 50-60 students beginning in 2023. When full capacity is reached (after the end of this award), the program is expected to enroll approximately 200-250 students and graduate approximately 50 new technicians annually. The course of study within the program will be co-developed with the industry partners to address industry's skill needs. Students will receive significant work-based learning opportunities, including work site visits, mentoring by industry professionals, and paid internships. Upon graduation from the program, students will have the skills and competencies, including "soft skills," necessary to successfully transition to a cybersecurity position at one of the partnering companies. Because the P-TECH model is still relatively new, this project will also provide an opportunity to study this holistic approach to technician education, which brings together K-12, postsecondary, and industry partners to collaboratively deliver a rigorous and applied course of study in one of the country's most in-demand technical fields. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program, which 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.