A Collaborative Cybersecurity Analysis Certification Program

为了满足对国家安全和持续经济发展至关重要的劳动力需求，该项目将为地区和国家网络安全劳动力开发教育和职业渠道。西弗吉尼亚州的三个教育机构：BridgeValley 社区和技术学院、南西弗吉尼亚社区和技术学院以及查尔斯顿大学将共同开发和推出一个包含四门课程、两个学期的证券分析 (SA) 证书课程。该计划将以虚拟和面对面的方式提供，目标对象是退伍军人、与军队有联系的成人学习者以及来自西弗吉尼亚州农村和经济萧条的南部县的高中生。该项目的目标包括：(1) 为急需的网络专家建立可持续的教育和职业渠道，(2) 培养一支有能力、训练有素的网络专家队伍，这些专家的安全能力和技能对西弗吉尼亚州和全国的国家安全至关重要。这三个机构与地区招聘组织建立了合作关系，并一直独立关注行业劳动力需求。共同努力并简化招聘和课外活动将改善每个机构的网络安全和信息技术学术服务，并将建立跨州、地区和国家部门的渠道。除了 ATE 社区之外，项目团队还将分享技术、工业和军事网络的最佳实践和成果。该项目团队将与该州的 First2 Network 和 TechConnect West Virginia 合作。 First2 Network 是 NSF INCLUDES 计划，专注于为第一代学生增加 STEM 学术课程，TechConnect West Virginia 是一个全州范围的组织，通过与企业和地区利益相关者合作促进创新研究和劳动力增长。该项目的评估包括对“输入、输出和结果”模型的建设性和协作性调整。评估将为项目和 SA 证书计划的有效性提供外部、独立的视角。该项目由先进技术教育计划资助，该计划重点关注推动国家经济发展的先进技术领域的技术人员教育。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

To meet workforce demands crucial to the Nation’s security and sustained economic development, this project will develop an educational and career pipeline for the regional and national cybersecurity workforce. Three West Virginia educational institutions: BridgeValley Community and Technical College, the Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College, and the University of Charleston, will work together to develop and launch a four-course, two-semester Security Analysis (SA) Certificate program. The program will be offered virtually and in-person and will target veterans, military-connected adult learners, and high school students from West Virginia’s rural and economically depressed southern counties. The goals of the project include: (1) building a sustainable educational and career pipeline for critically needed cyber specialists, and (2) growing a capable and trained workforce of cyber specialists with security abilities and skills vital to national security within West Virginia and across the country. The three institutions share relationships with regional hiring organizations and have been independently attentive to industry workforce needs. Combining efforts and streamlining recruiting and co-curricular activities will improve each institution’s cybersecurity and information technology academic offerings, and will create a pipeline across state, regional, and national sectors. In addition to the ATE community, the project team will share best practices and outcomes across technical, industrial, and military networks. The project team will work with the state’s First2 Network, an NSF INCLUDES program focused on increasing STEM academic offerings to first-generation students, and TechConnect West Virginia, a statewide organization promoting innovative research and workforce growth by partnering with businesses and regional stakeholders. Evaluation of the project consists of a constructive and collaborative adaptation of the “Input, Outputs, and Outcome” model. The evaluation will provide an outside, independent perspective on the effectiveness of the project and SA Certificate program. 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.