Expanding Cybersecurity Education at a Rural Community College

该项目旨在通过制定一项连贯的战略来服务于国家利益，以提高对网络安全职业的认识，增加劳动力的多样性，并提供实践学习经验。马里恩技术学院(MTC)与行业和教育合作伙伴合作，打算满足对熟练技术人员的需求，并加强俄亥俄州农村地区的网络安全劳动力。拟议的项目有可能弥合技能差距，并建立一支熟练的网络安全员工队伍，以满足当地、地区和全国的需求。项目组计划创建三个新的嵌入认证的网络安全课程，一个顶峰课程，一个新的可堆叠证书选项，以及一个专业发展新兵训练营。该项目为网络安全领域代表性不足的学生提出了一项外联战略，其中包括农村学生、经济困难学生和女性。该项目的目标是提高对网络安全途径的认识，以增加熟练技术人员的供应并加强网络安全队伍。该项目将通过四个目标实现这一目标：1)通过开发三门新的技术课程和一门顶尖课程，扩展和增强现有的网络安全课程；2)为60名高中教师、地方政府和公用事业员工提供职业发展机会；3)通过整合可堆叠的证书和提高30名现有工人的技能，增强短期证书；4)将农村学生、妇女和经济困难学生在网络安全领域寻求证书的计划招生人数增加25%。正式评估将确定该计划的有效性，并记录该项目对培养合格网络安全技术人员知识的贡献。该项目由高级技术教育计划资助，该计划专注于为推动国家经济的先进技术领域培养技术人员。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest by developing a cohesive strategy to raise awareness of careers in cybersecurity, increase the diversity of the workforce, and provide hands-on learning experiences. Marion Technical College (MTC), in collaboration with industry and education partners, intends to address the demand for skilled technicians and strengthen the cybersecurity workforce in rural Ohio. The proposed project has the potential to bridge the skills gap and establish a skilled cybersecurity workforce to meet local, regional, and nationwide demands. The project team plans to create three new cybersecurity courses with embedded certifications, a capstone course, new stackable certificate options, and a professional development boot camp. The project proposes an outreach strategy for underrepresented students in cybersecurity including rural students, economically disadvantaged students, and women. The goal of the project is to promote awareness of cybersecurity pathways to increase the supply of skilled technicians and strengthen the cybersecurity workforce. The project will achieve this goal through four objectives: 1) Expand and enhance existing cybersecurity curriculum by developing three new technical courses and one capstone course; 2) Provide professional development opportunities for 60 high school instructors, local government, and public utility employees; 3) Enhance short-term certificates by integrating stackable credentials and upskilling 30 incumbent workers; 4) Increase program enrollment of rural students, women, and economically disadvantaged students pursuing credentials in cybersecurity by 25%. The formal evaluation will determine the effectiveness of the program and capture the project's contributions to the generation of knowledge on preparing qualified cybersecurity technicians. 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.