To solve the problems of veteran unemployment and unfilled cybersecurity jobs, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced the launch of Cyber Vets Virginia, an initiative that aims to provide veterans with cybersecurity training and education.
“Every year, we set aside Veterans Day to honor all the men and women who have served and sacrificed in uniform for our country,” said McAuliffe. “I am also pleased to launch Cyber Vets Virginia to help our veterans build the skill sets they need to be successful in the new Virginia economy. We currently have 17,000 open cyber jobs in Virginia and our veteran community is extremely well-suited to help close the workforce gap in this growing industry. We will continue to work with our partners and the private sector to build innovative pathways for job training and career development for veterans in Virginia.”
The initiative is a collaboration between the Commonwealth of Virginia and members of the private sector, such as Cisco, Amazon Web Services, ISC2, and the Institute for Veterans and Military Families’ Onward to Opportunity program. It provides veterans with free cyber training as well as information on educational opportunities in Virginia community colleges and four-year institutions.
“Our veterans have the talent, knowledge, skills, and abilities that translate well to nearly every industry in the commonwealth. With the launch of Cyber Vets Virginia, the governor continues to demonstrate his commitment to ensuring that our veterans have high-quality employment and educational opportunities. They deserve nothing less,” said Virginia’s Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs John Harvey.
Cyber Vets Virginia will act as the pilot program for Virginia’s cyber jobs portal, cyberjobs.virginia.gov, which connects job seekers with open cyber positions in the state.
“Cybersecurity is a key pillar in the new Virginia economy and filling the cyber workforce pipeline is critical to sustaining long-term industry growth in the future,” said Virginia secretary of Technology Karen Jackson. “The launch of both the pilot program Cyber Vets Virginia and the Cyber Jobs Portal underscores our commitment to cybersecurity and our desire for our veterans to be part of the New Virginia cyber workforce.”
Cyber Vets Virginia is the second cyber initiative announced by McAuliffe in recent weeks. In late October, McAuliffe launched a Virginia’s NSA Day of Cyber challenge, which rewards high schools that sign their students up for the NSA’s Day of Cyber educational tool.
