USM Celebrates Public Private Partnership to Develop Cyber Security Workforce Training through Resources of UMBC Training Centers, Bowie State University
Adelphi, Md. (Oct. 18, 2016) -- The University System of Maryland
(USM) is pleased to announce a partnership with two USM entities, the UMBC
Training Centers and Bowie State University, that establishes the RX5
Cybersecurity Workforce Development program. RX5 is a public private
partnership that aims to address the shortage in cyber industry talent and to provide
United States veterans and other U.S. citizens access to meaningful careers in
cyber security.
The
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and Bowie State University are
among the 12 institutions in the USM--Maryland's public system of higher
education. The UMBC Training Centers
is the premier provider of technical, engineering and professional skills
training in the Mid-Atlantic region for individuals, businesses, nonprofit
organizations and government agencies.
The partnership
seeks to train a number of cohorts at each RX5 campus. After the RX5 candidates
complete 18 weeks of cybersecurity training, they will be placed in a special
RX5 fellowship for an additional 12 weeks of hands-on cybersecurity workforce
training.
The
partnership is official just as Maryland celebrates the CyberMaryland
Conference 2016 on Oct. 20-21. A preview event, the Cybertini
gathering at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19, will be held at the Columbus Center
in downtown Baltimore, 701 E. Pratt Street.
UMBC
Training Centers has been successfully providing Cybersecurity Workforce
Training to a number of strategic government agencies for several years. UMBC
Training Centers and the Maryland
Center at Bowie State University will provide highly focused skills
training and practical experience to address cyber workforce training needs of
the military, intelligence community, federal civilian agencies, and the
commercial sector.
A critical
next step toward developing a cybersecurity workforce is engaging the private sector
as a strategic member of this partnership. Private industry will have a significant
interest in the effort's success.
"This is a
unique opportunity from the perspective of the University System of Maryland,
in that the system is able to leverage the cybersecurity resources of UMBC and
Bowie State together," said J. Thomas Sadowski, USM Vice Chancellor for
Economic Development. "This partnership demonstrates the strength of the
university system working together to address our region's cyber workforce
vacuum, during these times of heightened risk to national security."
RX5 is
inspired by the Cybersecurity National Workforce Training Pilot, co-founded by
Captain Tim Holden, U.S. Navy Seal (Retired) to give veterans highest priority
to career jobs in cyber security, with access to these job opportunities for
other security clearable American citizens.
Committee
members behind the public private partnership are the following: Maryland State
Sen. Joanne Benson; Admiral Anthony Watson, U.S. Navy (Ret.), CEO LandMatters;
Gib Mason, COO UMBC Training Centers; J. Edward Whitehead, Director U.S. RX5
P3; and Terry Lawlah, Executive Director of the Maryland Center at Bowie State
University; and Sadowski of the USM.
Contact: Mike Lurie
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: mlurie@usmd.edu
