Pentagon launches cyber apprenticeship program
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The initiative is part of the administration’s focus on addressing technology and cybersecurity vacancies by placing an emphasis on skill-based hiring.
The Department of Defense is launching a Cyber Registered Apprenticeship Program to accelerate its onboarding of skilled cybersecurity professionals, the agency said, part of a Trump administration push to bring non-traditional talent into the federal workforce.
The initiative is being led through DOD’s Office of the Chief Information Officer and was first announced during a Labor Department signing ceremony on Monday for National Apprenticeship Week.
The 12-month program is slated to launch as a pilot this summer, with the Pentagon calling it “a significant first step in energizing the Department’s commitment to workforce innovation and rapidly delivering leading-edge expertise to the warfighter.”
The Pentagon said the apprenticeship is driven by a governmentwide focus on prioritizing skills-based hiring for technical- and cybersecurity-focused roles. The Office of Personnel Management released new standards for technology positions earlier this month that no longer include degree requirements as part of an effort to emphasize experience in the hiring process.
The new program, DOD said, will place an emphasis on preparing participants for top cybersecurity roles, including as cyber defense analysts, infrastructure support specialists and incident responders. Participants will also receive training certifications and continued education opportunities, as well as the chance to receive full-time cyber roles within DOD upon completion of the apprenticeship.
“This program is a critical investment in our people and the bedrock of our national security,” Marci McCarthy, the DOD CIO’s director of external engagements, said in a statement. “The Cyber RAP provides a direct pathway for dedicated individuals to join our mission, securing the vital networks, infrastructure, and weapon systems that our Warfighters depend on every single day.”
The effort to train and onboard new cyber talent comes as the Pentagon and other federal agencies look to fill a host of digital defense-focused roles, with the U.S. as a whole struggling to address more than 500,000 vacancies in cybersecurity positions across both the public and private sectors.