CyberTech: Expanding Opportunities in Cybersecurity

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 programs 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.