Supporting Marylands Workforce
From the moment BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) plans were announced several years ago, Maryland knew it would see an influx of people and jobs around the military installments of Ft. Meade in Anne Arundel County, Ft. Detrick in Frederick and Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County. With the increase in activity among both the military and area defense contractors comes the need for workforce training to help current and future employees meet the demands of the jobs created. UMBC, with its convenient location (just a short drive from Ft. Meade) and strengths in science, engineering and IT, is well-positioned to offer training to the BRAC population.
On December 15, Lt. Governor Anthony Brown announced that UMBC received one of 12 BRAC Higher Education grants from the Maryland Higher Education Investment Fund. The grant, totaling $83,208, will help establish a Center for Cybersecurity Training. Fifteen courses will be developed by UMBC Training Centers and will be targeted to employees of state and federal government agencies and contractors, active military, veterans and any others seeking job training or skill enhancement.
With an estimated 60,000 jobs in communications, intelligence and other high-skilled fields coming to Maryland via BRAC, there will be a critical need for cybersecurity training. UMBC’s cybersecurity program will prepare those employees to obtain the required certification.
Courses planned include Network Security, Computer Forensic Investigation, Enterprise Linux Security Administration, and Java Development for Secure Systems. The goal is to begin delivering pilot courses to small groups of students this spring. While it is projected that 75-150 students will be served during the pilot phase, ultimately the goal is to serve about 720 students per year.
“People are recognizing that cybersecurity is the next strategic area of our national defense,” says Jon Lau, practice manager for engineering and IT programs at UMBC Training Centers. Lau, who will manage the Center for Cybersecurity Training, added, “Now, no matter what your job is [in the defense industry] you need comprehensive training in cybersecurity. We recognized there would be a big need among the staff at Ft. Meade and the need to train the new people.”
Lau says the courses will focus on hands-on training. They will primarily be delivered at UMBC Training Centers, but equipment can be set up at client sites. There is also the possibility of some courses being offered online.
Currently, about 25 percent of participants in UMBC Training Centers courses are from defense-related organizations, but with the establishment of the cybersecurity program, Lau expects that percentage to increase significantly.
(12/21/09)
