A few years back, I had the privilege of chairing a study committee on cybersecurity. This study committee explored several aspects of cybersecurity including the readiness of our state agencies. In conclusion, our white paper recommended purchasing $100 million of cyber insurance, creating a GBI center in Augusta, and several other action items. The entire process made it abundantly clear how well positioned our state was in becoming the cyber hub for the U.S.Over the next year, technical colleges and universities began adding curricula to prepare students for the incredible opportunities that lie ahead for those who study cybersecurity. In 2018, experts reported that 300,000 jobs in that sector were unfilled.
That leads me to an exciting program I successfully launched at the beginning of this year. This program is designed to identify 11th-grade students who may have never been chosen for anything in their life. When I spoke to the selected 25 teens and their guardians back in December on “Signing Day,” I addressed the fact that most of them had never been chosen for athletic teams, academic teams, and in some cases had even been abandoned by their own family. Why would I say such a harsh thing to these students? Well, the answer is in the next statement I made to them:
“Boys and girls, today you are chosen. We have chosen you because you are important. In fact, in 16 months, you will walk across that stage and receive your diploma at graduation, because we will see to it! We will have a mentor assigned to you, and you will also simultaneously be employable in the cybersecurity vertical. You see, you have been selected to participate in a cybersecurity curriculum that will prepare you and ensure that you obtain three certifications by graduation day.”
I call this program “Access” because these free/reduced lunch students will have a renewed access to their future. By design, I wanted to offer a specialized program to students who have a higher risk of falling through the cracks of society. In fact, the first group of Access students has several homeless, foster care, and single-parent teens. My desire is to launch a second class by May 2019 and several more in January 2020.
The exciting thing about the Access program is that it provides the training to enter a field of study with zero unemployment, but also ensures that someone will become a contributor to the tax system instead of a recipient.
to your business!