Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Webinar

This webinar and the engagement tools will be recorded.

An archive will be available on the event website. 

Please Note...
FEDERAL CYBERSECURITY 

WORKFORCE WEBINAR

Welcome and Overview

Marian Merritt

Deputy Director and Lead for Industry Engagement 

National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE)
Douglass McPherson

Supervisory Apprenticeship and 

Training Representative 

Office of Apprenticeship

Federal Cybersecurity Workforce 

Webinar: Introducing Cybersecurity 

Apprenticeships in Federal 

Environments

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A Proven 

Workforce 

Solution

Registered Apprenticeship is 

an industry-driven, highquality career pathway where 

employers can develop and 

prepare their future 

workforce, and individuals can 

obtain paid work experience, 

classroom instruction, and a 

portable, nationallyrecognized credential.

What is Registered 

Apprenticeship

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Apprenticeships are jobs 

On-the-job learning in a work setting 

Job-related classroom training

Learning with the help of a mentor

Industry-recognized credential

Five

Components of 

Apprenticeship

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A Diverse Range of Industries

Healthcare Cybersecurity Information 

Technology

Biotechnology Transportation Construction

Financial 

Services

Advanced Hospitality Engineering Energy Telecommunications

Manufacturing

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Successful Engagement with Major Employers to

Grow Apprenticeship

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Why Registered Apprenticeship?

• Registered Apprenticeship is a proven training 

model

• Industry-validated occupations

• Modernized registration process

• Nationwide Technical Assistance

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Federal Apprenticeship Programs

• United Services Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP)

• Center for Disease Control (CDC)

• Federal Bureau of Prisons

• Department of Interior

• Department of Justice

• Department of Treasury

• and the Department of Labor 9
Cyber/I.T. Occupations

• Hardware Hacker

• Cyber Security Support Technician

• Database Administrators

• I.T. Systems Administrator

• Information Security Analysts

• Computer Network Architects

• Computer and Information Systems Managers

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Ready to get involved? The Office of Apprenticeship is here to help!

Visit www.apprenticeship.gov/national-apprenticeship-week for all 

things NAW 2021

Have questions ? Email us at NAW@dol.gov

Thank You for Joining Us Today

Douglass McPherson, 

Supervisory Apprenticeship 

and Training Representative

Office of Apprenticeship 

(202) 693-3783
Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Webinar

Q & A

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Cybersecurity Apprenticeshipsa map for federal agencies

Dr. Costis Toregas

GWU Cybersecurity and Privacy Research Institute 

October 26, 2021

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Defining apprenticeships

• Earn while you learn

• Mentor to pass on the wisdom

• Three learning pathwayswith

• Academic

• Company

• OJT

n hours expectation

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NSF-funded project to explore terrain

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What we learned

• It’s all about the employer- make sure both hiring and technical side 

managers understand the value proposition of apprenticeships

• Many organizations and individuals exist to help startthe journey! 

Engage and be open to offers of assistance.

• Benefits are many- understand them and convey them

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Ticking clock for you

• Retirement wave of technicians and 

technical managers

• Industry salary gap and timing issues to 

hiring

• Presidential Orders focusing on cyber skills

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Different onboarding models

• Set up internal program

• Intermediaries

• Hybrid approach

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Example of intermediary: Innovative Systems Group - ISG Cyber

MISSION: ISGCyber providescybersecurity services and developsIT and cyber professionals

using apprenticeship as a developmenttool.

CONCEPT:The ISG CybersecurityApprenticeship Program (ICAP) integrates foundational 

education, virtual simulation training, global certifications and supervised work experience to 

produce educated,trained, certified and experienced cyber professionals. ICAPprimarily 

supports transitioning militaryVeterans but is configurable to meet any defined population 

group

COMPANY: Founded in 1998 (custom software); 2012 transition to cybersecurity; 2013

federally registered cybersecurityapprenticeship;Veteran focusedapprenticeshipsince 2016

PATHWAY: Selection; Pre-Apprenticeship; Apprenticeship; Career

CONTACT: https://isgcyber.com/ EMAIL: Tony.Marshall@ISGlink.com

NAICS: 423609, 611420, 611513, 541519 CAGE:#3C257

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Suggestions for success

• Buy in from the top is vital

• Engage two vital elements:

• HR/hiring managers

• CIO/CISO

• Registered or not? Pros and cons

• Innovate through pilots

• take small bytes

• Win

• Expand

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Who can help?

• NIST/NICEcommunity of 

practice

• DoL program support

• Academia, intermediaries and 

accreditation organizations

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Stay in touch

costis.toregas@gmail.com

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Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Webinar

Q & A

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SAN DIEGO’S CYBERSECURITY 

APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

Research by:

Presented by: Lisa Easterly, CCOE President & CEO
$3.5B

ANNUAL 

ECONOMIC IMPACT

nearly 15% more than 

in 2019

874

CYBER FIRMS CALL 

SAN DIEGO HOME

3 in 5 expect to increase 

employment in next year

12.4K

TECH WORKERS 

ENGAGED IN CYBER

7.5% more than in 2019

©2021 Cyber Center of Excellence

BY THE NUMBERS

23.4K 

TOTAL JOBS 

IMPACTED

10% increase since 2019

22.2K

CYBER-RELATED 

DEGREE COMPLETIONS 

across 118 local programs

$106.4K

AVG SALARY FOR 

TECH & CYBER 

WORKERS

nearly 12% above national avg

Cybersecurity in San Diego

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NAVWAR is San Diego’s Cyber Juggernaut

IN WAGES AND 

BENEFITS

2020

FEDERAL EMPLOYEES 

IN SAN DIEGO

11K+ w orldw ide

CYBER EMPLOYEES 

IN SAN DIEGO

1/3 of all Cyber w orkers

3.7K

$800M

IN SD-SPECIFIC 

CONTRACTS

$530M for small 

businesses

$1.6B

5.2K

NAVWAR’S ECONOMIC IMPACT SAN DIEG O ’S M ILITARY FO O T PRINT

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• Talent shortage and lack of diversity identified as #1 industry 

pain point in regional economic impact and workforce studies

• Inspired by 2018 NICE Conference apprenticeship theme

• Convened academia and industry roundtables to discuss gap

• As the largest cyber employer, NAVWAR developed 

cybersecurity student-employee/apprenticeship criteria

• CCOE shared the criteria with both government and industry 

partners to cultivate a region-wide apprenticeship program

• Fostered partnerships with community colleges and continuing 

education programs to identify student cohorts 

• Facilitate employer info sessions, matchmaking and interviews

Yielding...5 college district partnerships and 30+ studentemployees hired and offered full-time employment to date!

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Creation of the Purple Elephant Program
• Increased talent diversity – homogeneity is the bad 

actor’s best friend!

• Decreased turnover and training costs

• Customized work-based learning and skills 

development

• Upskilling of current workforce

• Team approach to mentorship

• Requires senior leadership, but...

• Creates a sustainable and responsive talent pipeline

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Benefits and Lessons Learned
“This is huge,” Yesenia Ponce said. “When you go to school, you don’t 

necessarily get any work experience. So to get this kind of an opportunity 

to work in a field you’d like to go into, and get a taste of what it’s like, is 

amazing. And then there’s a job waiting for you when you graduate with 

your bachelor’s degree? That’s just unbelievable.”

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Testimonial
For more information, please visit: 

https://sdccoe.org/

Interested in Learning More?

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Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Webinar

Q & A

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Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Webinar

Tuesday, January 25, 2022, 1:30-3:00 p.m. ET

Impactful Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Initiatives for the 

Federal Cybersecurity Workforce

Register here: https://go.usa.gov/xe3kZ

2021 Federal Cybersecurity 

Workforce Webinar Series

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Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Webinar

SAVE THE DATE

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

2022 Federal Cybersecurity 

Workforce Summit

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Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Webinar

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