National Grant to Train Workers for Careers in IT and Cybersecurity

WorkSource Montgomery is collaborating with Montgomery College, which will serve as the lead on a $5.6 million America’s Promise grant. The grant will provide IT and cybersecurity training for students to ensure Montgomery County is better equipped to meet local business needs.

“Montgomery County has become a major hub for high-paying careers, including those in IT and cybersecurity,” said WorkSource Montgomery CEO Dr. Ellie Giles. “These industries have grown so rapidly and the America’s Promise grant enhances local talent to meet the new demand. We are looking forward to supporting Montgomery College in this endeavor.”

Montgomery College has been awarded the funding from the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration’s $111 million America’s Promise Job-Driven Grant Program. According to a 2015 report by Montgomery College, nearly 20,000 jobs in cybersecurity alone in Maryland go unfilled due to a lack of qualified workers.

“We are delighted to be partnering with the Capital regions, including Prince George’s and Frederick counties to meet the high-tech, highly skilled training needs of the workforce of the future,” said Giles.

For its part, WorkSource Montgomery will be conducting outreach to local companies to let them know about this specialized training and determine the specific skills that businesses need the most. In addition, the local workforce organization will actively promote the training to potential employees and connect employers with qualified applicants.

“The first step will be to place people who take part in the training,” said Giles. “But the real key to this grant’s success will be to follow up with both employees and employers to ensure we are delivering what they are expecting, and I’m fully confident we can do that.”