Cybersecurity Workforce Alliance Newsletter: June 2023
University of Connecticut Places the 900th Student in Our CWA Projects
The end of the Spring 2023 semester marks a record for an educational institution that has partnered with iQ4.
Over the last three years, the University of Cincinnati has placed 900 students into virtual pre-apprenticeships and internships in our CWA projects. Not only did the students acquire skills and proficiencies in cybersecurity and risk, but each student also received the iQ4 "Digital Wallet", which is part of a student's Learning and Employment Record (LER). It is a lifetime career “Wallet” which enables students to promote skills, proficiencies, experience, education, and portfolio of work. Students find career pathways to suitable roles and are matched to employers’ skills-based hiring needs.
The coordination and infusion of the approximate seventy-five CWA mentors have been key, as they are the ones that have provided expertise and knowledge transfer to the students and teams, resulting in cybersecurity skills acquisition and getting the students ready for the next internship or full-time job.
Our partnership with the University of Cincinnati started in Spring 2020, with a U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (ETA) grant awarded to the University of Cincinnati in the amount of $11M. A portion of this funding was allocated for the iQ4 program. The primary goal of this grant is to accelerate the expansion of apprenticeships to new industry sectors reliant on H-1B visas, such as information technology (IT) and IT-related industries.
We have worked closely with Dr. Erik Alanson, Director, Computing & Information Technology Co-Op Programs, and Associate Professor and Assistant Professor Rich Hoyt, from the College of Cooperative Education and Professional Studies. Both Erik and Rich have been great partners in spearheading the program at the University of Cincinnati.
“When I first connected with iQ4, I knew they had a unique, scalable concept that would make cybersecurity education and workforce development more accessible to students than ever before. Their model combines cybersecurity virtual education, credentialing, and industrial mentorship like no other program I’ve seen. I am proud of our student’s involvement with the program, and we look forward to a continued partnership with iQ4,” Dr. Alanson said.
“iQ4 has been an invaluable partner with not just our I.T. and Cybersecurity students at the University of Cincinnati, but all students who have participated in one of their programs over the past three years. Whether it's been providing student experiences during COVID-19 when the job market was not ideal or providing initial experiences for students prior to their first required co-op, iQ4 has influenced numerous student experiences. Most of all, the direct connection the students have to their program mentor, an industry professional, has been beneficial to students learning about both cybersecurity and how to interact in a professional setting,” Professor Hoyt said.
Our next project offering is our Cloud Technology, a 10-week project that starts in June, before a battery of Fall projects begins.
Service2Cyber Program Launched with June 2023 Project
Service2Cyber is a new CWA cybersecurity skills and proficiency training program for Military and Veterans. The purpose of the program is to provide cybersecurity workforce development training with employer mentors, leading to career pathways and job placement. Initiated by the CEO of Military Alliance representing Corporate America. Includes real-world cybersecurity cases, job roles, mentoring, and an industry-recognized iQ4 macro-credential. No cost to the military in transition, veterans, and family dependents.
See our CEO for Military Alliance Webcast from May 3, 2023, which includes a panel discussion with veterans, students, mentors, and an iQ4 product demo.
Join the CWA LinkedIn Community and Have an Impact
Download the CWA LinkedIn Community Information Paper
Click to connect with Victoria on LinkedIn
Mentor of the Month: Victoria L. Thomas, SSAP, CSAP, SACP
Victoria is an outstanding contributor to the CWA mentor program. Victoria has been engaged in CWA projects, across a number of academic institutions over the past 3 years. Her expertise in cyber risk and developing-out cyber awareness programs has truly been leveraged in the projects she has participated in.
Thank you for giving back and changing the world Victoria!
Victoria's areas of expertise:
• Marketing and communications strategies
• Public and media relations
• Promotions, branding and strategic messaging
• Change management
• Product management
• Project management (Agile methodology)
• Behavioral change and cultural sensitivity
• Event and vendor management
• Web content coordination
• Budget projections and tracking
• Staff supervision and creative team leadership
Experience:
• Sr. Manager, Cybersecurity Awareness & IT Risk Culture, Charles Schwab
• Cybersecurity Awareness Program Leader, Kimberly-Clark
• Information Security Training and Awareness Manager, General Motors
• Information Security Awareness Specialist, Ally Financial Inc.