Workforce

About Our Work

The cybersecurity worker shortage has grown to staggering proportions and is getting bigger. Conventional education is not producing enough graduates to meet the needs of the industry. Meanwhile, employers struggle to identify criteria—like degrees, industry certifications, and work experience—that could indicate which applicants might be successful. All these problems are compounded by the lack of demographic diversity in the current workforce, a factor that amplifies recruiting problems and hinders the industry from tapping into the full range of talent that might otherwise be available.

To confront these challenges, the C2B Partnership explores policy mechanisms to support both conventional and alternative training options that can widen the cybersecurity workforce pipeline. In conjunction with the Center on Education and Skills at New America, we are helping shape the future of cybersecurity apprenticeship programs. These programs offer unique promise in the industry because they offer workers an opportunity to gain much-needed skills and work experience while earning a wage, while employers can build curriculums targeted specifically to their needs. But a healthy ecosystem requires many different kinds of training, which is why we are also building a conversation around the other levers that shape the workforce. Through events, research, and outreach to members of the cybersecurity community and the public, C2B will build and inform an inclusive conversation to identify policy mechanisms that can connect employees to employers and help establish training options that truly meet the needs of the industry.