Congressman John P. Sarbanes lauded a regional consortium’s success in cybersecurity training, saying this kind of investment in human infrastructure is needed to help create jobs, not only in Maryland, but across the nation.

Sarbanes, (D-3^rd District) was one of several speakers June 29 as the Pathways to Cybersecurity Careers Consortium celebrated its one-year anniversary with a breakfast event, “Increasing the Pipeline of Skilled Cybersecurity Professionals,” at Anne Arundel Community College.

“We talk about the need to build physical infrastructure and security infrastructure, but this program represents the intersection of security infrastructure and human capital,” he said.

The consortium includes educators, workforce agencies, government agencies and businesses. Operating under a three-year, $4.9 million U.S. Department of Labor Community-Based Job Training grant, the consortium trained more than 400 people to meet the requirements of industry-recognized certifications in its first year.

Kirkland J. Murray, president and chief executive officer of the Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation, the lead partner in the consortium, said, “This project is about getting Marylanders back to work. The partnership between workforce agencies, community colleges and businesses has successfully built a pipeline that will simultaneously enhance the skills of our cybersecurity professionals, while giving career-changers and unemployed citizens the tools to enter this high-growth career.”

Keynote speaker, Robert J. Giesler, senior vice president for cyber programs at SAIC, said in 2006, the government estimated that it would cost $16 billion to combat cyber attacks. As big a figure as that was, the main question was not where will we find the money, but where will we find the people to meet the demand, Giesler said.

This program can provide the spark to the students that the nation needs to keep developing new strategies and pathways to prevent cyber attacks, he said, adding that “the most effective defense against cyber attacks is a human being,” he said.

As the consortium’s lead educational institution, AACC’s cyber training program has been one of the college’s most successful, said President Martha A. Smith, Ph.D. Since September 2010, AACC students have earned 853 credits through the Pathways program, and another 596 credits will be granted in August. In addition, they have earned more than 100 industry-recognized certifications.

“The demand is there, the need is clearly there, and this program works,” Smith said.

County Executive John R. Leopold agreed, saying this program is good for county residents who need to be trained to take advantage of the jobs requiring cyber and STEM-related skills. Frederick J. Ferrer, director of Information Decision Dominance/Cyberspace at ARINC and chairman of the Pathways to Cybersecurity Consortium Business Advisory Board, said it’s also good for businesses that need these workers to guard against cyber attacks.

Several students in the training program attended the anniversary event and took advantage of the opportunity to network with some of the region’s top information technology and cybersecurity companies and government agencies.

In addition to AACC, other educational institutions include Carroll Community College, Howard Community College, the University of Maryland University College and Anne Arundel County Public Schools.

Additional business and government partners include Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation, ARINC, Baltimore City Workforce Investment Area, the Chesapeake Regional Tech Council, Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, the Maryland Governor’s Workforce Investment Board, the Mid-Maryland Workforce Investment Area, Praxis and TechAmerica.

For information or eligibility for this program, visit www.aawdc.org/cyber or call the Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation at 410-777-2353 and ask specifically about the Pathways to Cybersecurity Careers Consortium.