The Enterprise Services Center (ESC) understands that Cybersecurity is a hot topic – and is getting hotter – as a career field. There simply aren’t enough experienced cybersecurity professionals to fill vacancies that exist across just about every sector of industry. Rather than sit back and watch vacancies pile up, ESC decided to take a more proactive approach to this challenge.
Several years ago, ESC’s Cybersecurity Shared Services Center initiated outreach efforts to local colleges and universities. This outreach focused on developing a ’pipeline’ of cybersecurity graduates who could hit the ground running in the federal cybersecurity workplace. As ongoing outreach efforts garnered the trust of the local academic community, ESC was invited to participate on Information Technology (IT) and Cybersecurity Academic Advisory panels at both Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) and Rose State College.
Through these outreach efforts, ESC has assisted with:
ESC now plays an active role in helping shape the skillsets of students who are enrolled in these IT/Cybersecurity programs. When looking to fill vacancies, ESC has directly benefited from these outreach efforts as cybersecurity program graduates are very competitive applicants.
ESC decided to take cybersecurity outreach efforts one step further. Why not start earlier? Mustang High School, located a few minutes west of the Aeronautical Center, started a cybersecurity course in the Fall 2022 term. This course runs through both the Fall and Spring terms, exposing High School sophomores, juniors, and seniors to a year-long, hands-on cybersecurity curriculum. ESC reached out to Mustang’s cybersecurity instructor, Mr. Clay Bowman, and extended an offer to assist if needed. Mr. Bowman was excited to have industry participation in his classes.
In March, ESC presented a high-level overview of opportunities in the cybersecurity career field to four (4) separate classes, totaling approximately seventy (70) students. ESC went a step further and coordinated to have representatives from OCCC join along to explain Concurrent Enrollment (free college classes during High School), scholarship opportunities and OCCC’s degree offerings.
ESC’s ongoing outreach efforts won’t solve all cybersecurity staffing challenges; however, the efforts have proven to have a positive influence on the local cybersecurity practitioner pool of qualified applicants who are available for federal employment.
