The University of Illinois is spearheading a $2 million project for cybersecurity.
A team there is creating a cybersecurity education program for the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute. There’s a national shortage of cybersecurity professionals in the U.S. The program will teach people about the workforce to hopefully gain more momentum in the field.
The team will research and develop an academic standard curriculum that will be implemented in colleges and schools across the nation. It will focus mainly on rural, minority, and gender inclusivity to build a more comprehensive and diverse workforce.
“What this project is addressing is a skill shortage, essentially,” said Bill Cope, UI College of Education professor. “So what the the kind of labor market stats tell us is that within about a year or two, there’ll be 3.5 million jobs in this whole area of cybersecurity.”
The plan is to develop the program within one year. UI is collaborating with Purdue, Auburn, and the University of Tulsa on the project.