Webinar Series

The Continuity of Learning and Skills Development in Virtual Environments 

May 13, 2020
2

NICE Strategic Plan Values

• Challenge Assumptions – examine rationale for past and present education, 

training, and workforce approaches and apply critical analysis to future 

solutions

• Drive Change – seek creative and innovative solutions that might disrupt or 

defy the status quo

• Stimulate Innovation – inspire and experiment with new approaches to 

education, training, and skills development
‹#› | © 2020 Akamai | © 2019 Akamai

Pandemic and the 

Private Sector

David Lasater

Sr. Director, Human Resources 

Akamai Technologies

May 13, 2020
‹#› | © 2020 Akamai © 2020 Akamai

Akamai is a global content delivery network, cybersecurity, 

and cloud service company, providing web and Internet 

security services. 

Akamai's content delivery network is one of the world's 

largest distributed computing platforms, responsible for 

serving approximately 30% of all web traffic. 

Akamai Technologies

4
‹#› | © 2020 Akamai © 2020 Akamai

COVID-19 has had a major impact on Akamai’s business 

• Dramatic spike in internet traffic and cyberattacks

• Critical need to sustain and increase capacity

• Business continuity challenges to overcome

• Diverging impact on revenue

Pandemic Impact on Business

5
‹#› | © 2020 Akamai © 2020 Akamai

Pandemic Impact on Employees

Challenges: 

• Home office setup (ergonomics, connectivity, furniture, etc.)

• Balancing caretaking and professional responsibilities 

• Managing mental health (stress, isolation, loneliness etc.)

• Burnout risk

New Solutions:

• Increased flexibility around productivity and working schedules

• Option for employees to work remotely through end of 2020

6
‹#› | © 2020 Akamai © 2020 Akamai

Employee Survey Results

Top concerns about returning to offices

● Maintaining social distancing measures

● Availability of a vaccine or antibody testing

● Commuting on public transportation

● Cleaning and sanitizing procedures

Most valued communications 

● Weekly all-employee email

● Designated Intranet page

40% 95% 84% 91%

Overall global 

response rate

Confidence in 

Akamai’s future

Remote work is going 

well

Confidence to 

perform job 

remotely

7
‹#› | © 2020 Akamai © 2020 Akamai

Lessons Learned and Future Impact

Remote Work: Shift from accepting to encouraging

Talent Strategy: Increased optionality for remote work

Employee Support: Increased focus on work-life balance and wellness

Compliance: Developing Improved tracking + employee transparency

Technology: Investment in collaboration tools + training

Real Estate: Balancing savings from downsizing with incentives to increase 

office attendance

8
Q & A 

9
Cybersecurity Workforce Alliance (CWA)

Building Soft/Workplace Skills

Dr. James R. Stellar, 

Professor of Behavioural Neuroscience, UAlbany, Past Provost and Interim President

Education Co-Chair, iQ4 CWA Advisory Board

Industry Co-Chair: David Cass, VP Cyber and Risk, Supervision, Federal Reserve Bank, NY 

NICE Monthly Meeting, May 2020

10
CWA – Industry Academic Collaboration Founded ......

• To bring industry support to iQ4 courses with virtual industry mentors 

augmenting academic instruction – from any faculty.

• Builds Academic-Industry partnership – and produces workforce readiness. 

• Because finding talent for industry that is trainable is not as good as hiring 

with direct experience.

• Soft skills are 85% of the hiring decision – CWA adds that to context and 

experience.

• Industry mentors know what they need/want to hire and bring that to the 

students. 

11
SIFMA – Securities Industries Financial Markets Association

iQ4 Corp (virtual projects Platform & “Passport”)

John Jay School of Criminal Justice (CUNY)

+ CISO & Risk Officers from

Federal Reserve Bank NY, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Fidelity, 

BankNY Mellon, Capgemini,

Express Scripts/(CIGNA) Healthcare 

23 January 2015

14 People form 

the CWA

Founders meeting

12
Address the cybersecurity and technology risk skills gap by scaling a diverse student and professional workforce to 

provide immediate value to employers.

Mission

Dramatically reduce the cost of on- boarding and training for college new hires

Provide industry credentialed - applied learning curricula to develop skills in cybersecurity and risk

How

Grow and increase cyber/risk awareness, knowledge and experience for learners 

Leverage iQ4 skills passport leading to career pathways

Create the “perfect” student candidate profile & role profiles and develop Candidates

13
Share My Passport

14
Metrics @ April 2020 – proven transitional program

• 2,500 CWA members – 600 active mentors

• 4,000 Alumni, 43% women

• 98% not aware of a cyber careers before the course

• 30% of Graduates in Cyber roles in 6-8 weeks (balance hired for other roles)

• 61% that took the course, but still at University, have physical Cyber internships

Employers report saving >3-months in on-boarding time to productivity (all sectors)

15
Virtual Apprenticeships & Internships

• U-Albany – 5 Years, now ~ 120 students per semester; 3 credit course

• DoL approved [pre] Apprenticeship – On-The-Job Training 144 hours 

foundation course yet CWA board recognizes 350 hours of Experience

• e.g. T-Mobile with U-Washington repeating the DoL Apprenticeship model

• Federal 2020 Youth Apprenticeship Grant

• $1-5 million for 200 or 900 students

• $500 per student to the college

• $1,000 to the student in need for Cyber scholarship 

16
How it works - Scalable, Economic, Proven

• Mentors – ~ 1.25 hours per week

• Students ~ 5-hours per week

Infusing mentored real-world experience with curriculum

Respond at scale to the COVID-19 loss 

of summer internships

1. Semester-long – e.g. UAlbany, CUNY, UK, Australia 

2. Grants: Growing Apprenticeships in non-traditional sectors 

(GAINS), Pan – Philadelphia PASSHE

3. New Jersey Cyber & Data Science Consortium

4. 4-week sprints – U-Cincinnati

NIST Framework-based 

“The Threat Within” 

17
Summer of COVID-19, U Cincinnati Co-Op (extracts from U Cincinnati website)

“I would encourage anyone with 

an interest in IT or anyone who is 

unsure of their career trajectory 

to apply for this apprenticeship,” 

Nolte said. 

“For me, it helped me solidify 

what I want to do with my 

future. It’s crazy to think that 

responding to an email and 

participating in a 4-week course 

really can change your life.”

Jillian Nolte (student)

https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2020/04/n20909439.html 18
Join the CWA – make a difference

Its FREE to join

Its and Alliance - Of the people, for 

the people by the people

• CWA@iQ4.Com

CWA Advisory Board

Education Co-Chair – Prof. James Stellar, Professor of 

Behavioural Neuroscience, UAlbany, former Interim 

President.

Industry Co-Chair - David Cass, VP Cyber and Risk, 

Supervision , Federal Reserve Bank, NY

Frank Cicio Co-Chair – Founder of iQ4

Curriculum Co-Chair – Prof. Ed Moskal, Founding

Director: M.S. in Cyber Security, Cyber Security Center 

and Internship Program at Saint Peter's University NJ | 

U.S. Secret Service Partner (Cyber Operations) - NY/NJ 

Electronic Crimes Task Force

19
Q & A 

20
Thank You for Joining Us!

nist.gov/nice/webinars

21

Upcoming Webinar: The Challenge of That First Job in Cybersecurity - Entry 

Level Roles and How to Qualify

When: Wednesday, June 17, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. EDT 

Register: https://nist-nice.adobeconnect.com/webinarjune2020/event/registration.html