Whatcom Community College President Kathi Hiyane-Brown attended the 2021 Virtual ATE Principal Investigators Conference on October 20, leading a panel of representatives from industry, higher education, and federal government in a session titled “Cybersecurity Across the Economy: Building a Cyber-Savvy Technical Workforce”. Panelists discussed the breadth and depth of cyber threats impacting industries, new cybersecurity challenges uncovered by the pandemic, and cybersecurity education for the current and future workforce.
WCC’s cybersecurity initiatives have contributed to the nation’s cybersecurity education and training for the past decade. In August 2021, the College’s National Center for Cybersecurity (NCyTE) was named the new national Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Center for cybersecurity education advocacy, receiving a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Dr. Hiyane-Brown, along with other private sector and education leaders, were invited to meet with President Joe Biden and members of his cabinet and national security team at a Cybersecurity Summit, where they discussed working collectively to fight malicious cyber-activity.
There are currently an estimated 500,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs in the U.S., according to White House estimates. Filling those positions is an urgent priority for the Biden administration.
About NCyTE: The National Cybersecurity Training & Education (NCyTE) Center is funded by the National Science Foundation. NCyTE's mission is to increase the quantity and quality of the cybersecurity workforce throughout the nation. NCyTE Center is based in Bellingham, WA at Whatcom Community College. For more information visit www.ncyte.net.
About Whatcom: Whatcom Community College in Bellingham, WA is regularly recognized as one of the top community colleges in the nation for student outcomes. The College, a destination for cybersecurity, healthcare and business studies, offers two bachelor of applied science degrees, transfer degrees, career and workforce preparation, online courses, and community education classes. New high school graduates, laid-off workers, seasoned employees, future university students—all students count on WCC to support their academic and career goals. For more information, visit www.whatcom.edu.
