As a precursor to National Cybersecurity Awareness Week, The Cybersecurity Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAMI) and The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) co-hosted a cybersecurity event on Friday and Saturday, November 9-10, 2018: Maryland: Where Cyber Works. The first day of the event featured a career and education fair, connecting cybersecurity job seekers with opportunities across the state of Maryland. Those looking to expand their cybersecurity competency connected on-site with Maryland education and training resources. On the second day of the event, MITRE hosted Catch the Phish, a cyber challenge for all abilities and expertise. Together, these events reinforced the numerous opportunities available in the state of Maryland for new and long-time members of the cybersecurity industry.
Maryland is at the forefront of a rapidly growing cyber market that is estimated to grow from $122.45 billion in 2016 to $202.36 billion by 20211. Maryland is home to the largest cyber workforce in the world (156,260 employed Cyber-related Engineering and Data Science professionals), and is ranked #1 for cyber employment opportunities in the country. Montgomery County serves as home base to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology, as well as its National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence. And leading cybersecurity companies—including top federal contractors and startups—have chosen to make Maryland their home.
“As Maryland’s only trade organization focused entirely on cybersecurity, our membership and partnerships include well over 500 of the state’s cybersecurity companies and small to large commercial businesses, many of whom have open cybersecurity positions. The academic and training entities in our state are producing some of the most qualified candidates for these career opportunities,” said Stacey Smith, Executive Director of CAMI. “The Universities at Shady Grove is an ideal partner in connecting cybersecurity talent with open jobs.”
As the cyber industry continues to grow, it is increasingly important for higher education to meet the region’s workforce development needs in the STEMM (science, technology, engineering, math, and medical sciences) fields. USG currently offers four cyber degree programs through two of its partner universities, and is preparing to launch a fifth program in the fall of 2019. And, USG will open a brand new Biomedical Sciences and Engineering (BSE) Education Facility in fall 2019, which will serve thousands of additional students in STEMM programs, and will allow USG to provide even more regional businesses with a talent pool of qualified STEMM graduates.
“Given the growing demand for highly skilled STEMM workers, I’m proud that the BSE will train the STEMM leaders of the future,” says John Zuknick, Director of Economic Development & Workforce Initiatives at USG. “Plus, with the Maryland: Where Cyber Works event, we’re helping provide pathways to the degrees and careers that will directly power tomorrow’s workforce, and in turn, help to fuel economic development in Montgomery County and beyond.”
The following partners were instrumental in the event’s success: Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, the Governor's Workforce Development Board, UMUC, Purdue University Global, Edwards Performance Solutions, SkillSmart, and UMBC Training.