|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The Alabama Community College System in partnership with Advantage Consulting & Solutions is set to debut its inaugural class of the Alabama Cybersecurity Fellowship. Funded by Innovate Alabama, the program aims to address the growing cybersecurity talent gap in Alabama. According to Cybersecurity Ventures data cited by Forbes, there are nearly 750,000 job vacancies across the U.S.
“The cybersecurity workforce gap is undeniable,” said Kelvin Seldon, President of Advantage Consulting & Solutions. “As a cybersecurity-focused organization, we too have felt the challenges of this shortage firsthand, even when recruiting for entry-level roles.”
The fellowship’s pilot semester will feature CIS students from Trenholm State Community College, Enterprise State Community College, and Wallace Community College (Dothan). During the 16-week internship, students will work two days a week with local employers, earning $18 per hour and three college credits toward their computer science degree, gaining valuable on-the-job experience in critical areas such as cybersecurity risk management, security control implementation, secure configuration, system monitoring, and incident response.
“Our hope is that one or more employers like what they see and extend an offer for full-time employment,” said Seldon. “This program not only equips students with practical, workforce-ready expertise but also helps local employers access a pipeline of skilled, in-demand talent—strengthening the local cybersecurity ecosystem and addressing the national workforce gap.”
To provide students with real world, hands-on experience, ACAS created a simulated computer network environment of commercial industry and public sector companies’ networks, excluding the data, for each student. This allows them to perform typical cybersecurity job functions and tasks without putting an organization’s sensitive or proprietary information at risk.
“Providing students with opportunities to broaden their career paths through fellowships with potential employers is an important way we can work to keep top talent here in Alabama,” Shannon Allen, Innovate Alabama HBCU Engagement Program Director.
Jesse W. Quillen, Executive Director of Wiregrass Economic Development Corporation, observed the success ACAS was having with a student intern from Enterprise State Community College. After meeting with, ACCS Chief Economic Development Officer, Melody Whitten, talks began to get the program up and running.
“The goal of economic development is to generate wealth within communities by expanding job opportunities for individuals seeking a better quality of life,” said Whitten. “This public-private partnership directly supports CATALYST, the new strategic plan of the Alabama Department of Commerce.”
The program is designed to foster long-term partnerships between local businesses, community colleges, and government initiatives. Participating companies will have the ability to gain access to emerging talent while benefiting from innovative contributions and expanded workforce capacity.
“I am excited to see local entrepreneurs recognize a skills gap and create a solution by partnering with ACCS,” said Quillen.
“The Alabama Cybersecurity Fellowship Program is a model for collaboration between education and industry in creating a skilled workforce ready to meet the challenges of the future,” added Dr. Abigail Carter, ACCS Associate Director of Computer/Information Technology Instructional Programs.
Students will report to their sponsored company for on-site training in early February.
