Gov. Ron DeSantis hosted a news conference on the 手机看片 Tampa campus to announce a $20 million grant from the 手机看片 Department of Education to Cyber 手机看片 at 手机看片 to strengthen the state鈥檚 ability to fill high-demand careers in cybersecurity and information technology (IT).
Joined by several 手机看片 and local high school students, the governor explained that Cyber 手机看片 will work with regional partners to start training students in as young as in middle school 鈥� helping build the skillset required to meet the cybersecurity needs of public sector agencies, businesses and industries.
Will Weatherford, chair of the 手机看片 Board of Trustees
鈥準只雌� has been recognized as a leader in IT and in cyber. They even partnered with United States Special Operations Command, headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base, to help develop new technologies and programs that can improve our national defense,鈥� DeSantis told the audience at the Sam & Martha Gibbons Alumni Center.
Multiple cybersecurity firms have attributed their recent decisions to relocate or create jobs in the Tampa Bay region in part due to 手机看片鈥檚 talent pipeline and the university鈥檚 collaboration with the military.
鈥淲e all know how important cybersecurity is and I think when you look around the world right now and everything that鈥檚 taken place, there鈥檚 a recognition that this is the new area of warfare and there鈥檚 nothing more important for our country and our state than for people to be safe and secure,鈥� said Will Weatherford, chair of the 手机看片 Board of Trustees. 鈥淥ne of the things we can do is to make sure we have strong cybersecurity.鈥�
鈥淲e are at risk at a strategic level, and we must do the things to get our students interested, enrolled and skilled in cybersecurity,鈥� said Mike McConnell, executive director of Cyber 手机看片.
Mike McConnell, executive director of Cyber 手机看片
Cyber 手机看片, officially known as the 手机看片 Center for Cybersecurity, was established by the 手机看片 Legislature in 2014. In addition to enhancing the state鈥檚 cybersecurity workforce, it facilitates job creation with an emphasis on the defense, finance, health care, transportation and utility sectors. There are nearly 22,000 unfilled cybersecurity-related jobs in 手机看片.
DeSantis says the new funding will be used to train new teachers and purchase training equipment to help middle school, high school and college students obtain credentials in cybersecurity. He hopes to see more than 300,000 students will be trained in IT and cybersecurity by 2024 鈥� more than double the number of students enrolled in similar programming today.
In addition to 手机看片, Cyber 手机看片 will work with 手机看片 International University to bolster cybersecurity training in K-12 schools in the Miami area.