Madison Reporter

On Aug. 2, Director of the Domestic Policy Council Neera Tanden and National Cyber Director Harry Coker, Jr. showcased federal investments at Madison College that will establish pathways to lucrative cybersecurity jobs vital to national security and economic prosperity.

Coker and Tanden toured the college’s cybersecurity classrooms and IT training facilities before participating in a listening session with a dozen Madison College students and alumni studying cybersecurity or working in the field.

“While the good-paying jobs the Biden-Harris Administration investments have generated don’t require four-year college degrees, they require evidence-based, quality training. Training that equips people with in-demand skills—and enables workers and students to see themselves in growing fields,” Tanden said.

Coker spoke about the challenges faced in building the nation’s cyber workforce, and how, as part of a strong local ecosystem, Madison College is helping meet the demand for cyber workers.

Madison College students and alumni shared with White House officials why they pursued cybersecurity careers. Today, over 13,500 Wisconsin residents are employed in cyber careers. Yet there are almost 5,000 open cybersecurity jobs in Wisconsin. In the Madison area alone, there are more than 1,100 open positions.

Director Coker applauded the regional cyber workforce ecosystem, which features strong connections between Madison College, local employers, high schools, and the Universities of Wisconsin. Promoting the development of local cyber workforce and education ecosystems was a guiding imperative in the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy released by the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) last July.

“What impressed me about what we saw today were the pathways that are being created for Americans to find their way into the meaningful, purposeful, challenging, and rewarding field of cybersecurity,” Coker said. “Madison College has hands-on learning, internships, registered apprenticeships, transfer agreements with the University of Wisconsin, and partnerships with local employers that provide vital on-ramps to good-paying jobs in cybersecurity.”

In 2004, Madison College was the first technical college in Wisconsin to offer an associate degree in cybersecurity. “Madison College has been a leader in cybersecurity for over two decades,” said Madison College President Jack Daniels at a press conference. “We are proud to host this visit because it aligns with what Madison College is doing to support students in gaining skills and credentials that propel them into rewarding careers and grow the pipeline of cyber professionals.”

The program is constantly evolving with new technology and apprenticeships. At Madison College veterans and underrepresented populations are encouraged to pursue cybersecurity and other high-demand IT jobs. Each academic year more than 1,500 high school students have taken Madison College courses including cybersecurity.

“This investment in facilities demonstrates not only our commitment to student experience and their success but also our commitment to our district’s business community,” Daniels said.

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Secretary Amy Pechacek spoke about how federal investments have helped boost workforce opportunities throughout Wisconsin.

Following their tour Coker and Tanden hosted a Technology Workforce and Education Ecosystem Roundtable with local employers educators and workforce development leaders seeking to increase registered apprenticeships and expand pathways into the cyber workforce.