The following types of organizations are eligible applicants for the Cybersecurity Education and Workforce Developments Program:

• Non-profit organizations, including elementary and secondary schools;
• Accredited institutions of higher education;
• State and local governments;
• Territorial and Indian Tribal governments; and
• For-profit organizations incorporated in the United States that are not sole proprietorships.

Applicants must demonstrate, through commitment letters from project partners, that at least one of each of the following types of organizations is committed to being a multistakeholder workforce Partner:

• Institution of higher education or nonprofit training organization (that is not the applicant), and
• Local employer or owner or operator of critical infrastructure (that is not the applicant).

Participation from elementary and secondary schools, training and certification providers, state and local governments, economic development organizations, or other community organizations is encouraged.

Eligible Activities

A successful project will create conditions (e.g., infrastructure for education providers, employers, and others to develop the cybersecurity education capabilities) that fill a critical skill gap in the local economy.  In addition, it will meet the following characteristics over the two-year project period:

1. Develops and strengthens an employer-led, learner-centered, standards-based, and outcomes-driven partnership.
2. Achieves the goals and objectives of the NICE Strategic Plan or supports the strategies of the NICE implementation plan.
3. Advances the NICE Framework, including through demonstration of how the stakeholders intend to use the NICE Framework.
4. Identifies local workforce needs in accordance with the NICE Framework, including how to leverage the CyberSeek job heat map and career pathways.
5. Recruits employers to support paid internships, externships, apprenticeships, or cooperative education programs in conjunction with education and training providers in the local community.
6. Uses predefined to metrics to determine the success of efforts.

Award

Important Dates

Next Steps