CyberTech: Expanding Opportunities in Cybersecurity

美国劳工统计局预计，2019年至2029年间，网络安全领域的职位空缺将增加31%。尽管佛罗里达州的网络安全就业水平在全国排名第四，但希望在网络安全领域准备和就业的佛罗里达州学生的教育选择是有限的。该项目的目标是增加低收入学生和代表性不足的学生接受网络安全技术人员培训的机会，同时提高总体毕业率。该项目将采用联合教学模式，教师和网络安全研究生一起工作，以确保网络安全项目课程的相关性。研究生将与教师共同授课，将网络安全威胁和安全漏洞的最新知识带到课堂上。与行业、大学、社区学院和中学的合作将有助于确保项目的成功，并与行业快速变化的需求保持一致。该项目将为当地雇主提供更多、训练有素的网络安全技术人员，以满足区域劳动力需求。该项目将响应当地行业需求，同时更广泛地了解联合教学模式在技术人员注册、保留和获得认证方面的有效性。该项目将通过联合教学合作，将网络安全讲师与网络安全研究生配对，为学生提供近同伴支持，访问当前的网络安全研究，以及基于能力的框架，并对先前的学习进行认可。项目目标包括：1)提高网络安全课程的入学率；2)提高网络安全课程的持续留存率；3)增加参加该计划的学生获得的证书数量。评估计划将研究该计划对目标受众的影响以及该计划对他人有益的潜力。评估设计包括明确具体的学生表现目标和可测量的质量；使用多种措施；使用项目文件、记录和结果进行形成性评价。该项目由先进技术教育计划资助，该计划侧重于为推动国家经济的先进技术领域培养技术人员。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an increase of 31% in job openings in cybersecurity between 2019 and 2029. Even though the state of Florida has the fourth highest employment level in cybersecurity in the Nation, educational options for Florida students who wish to prepare for and pursue employment in the cybersecurity field are limited. The goal of this project is to increase access for low-income students, and underrepresented students to cybersecurity technician training while increasing overall graduation rates. This project will make use of a co-teaching model where faculty and cybersecurity graduate students work together to ensure the relevancy of the curriculum in the cybersecurity program. Graduate students will co-teach classes with faculty bringing the latest knowledge of cybersecurity threats and security breaches to the classroom. Partnerships with industry, universities, community colleges, and secondary schools will help ensure project success and alignment with the rapidly changing needs of the industry. This project will support regional workforce needs by providing local employers with a larger and better trained supply of cybersecurity technicians.This project will respond to local industry needs while supplying broader insight into effectiveness of the co-teaching model on technician enrollment, retention, and certification acquisition. The program will pair cybersecurity instructors with cybersecurity graduate students through a co-teaching collaboration that will offer students near-peer support, access to current cybersecurity research, and a competency-based framework with recognition for prior learning. Project objectives include: 1) Increasing enrollment in cybersecurity courses; 2) Increasing fall-to-fall retention in cybersecurity courses; and 3) Increasing the number of credentials earned by students participating in the program. The evaluation plan will study the impact of the program on the target audience and the program’s potential for benefiting others. The evaluation design includes clear and specific student performance objectives with measurable qualities; use of multiple measures; use of project documents, records, and results for formative evaluation.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.