The White House Office of the National Cyber Director held a meeting with representatives from over 30 companies and institutions on Monday to address the need to expand the cybersecurity workforce in the United States.
Notably, the gathering focused on expanding career opportunities in the fast-growing field by emphasizing skill-based hiring practices and apprenticeship programs.
According to a statement published by The White House, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a comprehensive update to the federal hiring process for technical roles — particularly the 2210 job series, which encompasses IT positions across all federal agencies and accounts for nearly 100,000 employees.
This new skills-based hiring framework is set to be implemented in the summer of 2025.
The updated hiring protocols also extend beyond federal employees, with the Department of Energy also announcing an initiative to adopt skills-based criteria in IT and cyber contracts.
The private sector’s engagement is also seen as crucial to the success of this initiative. More than 30 companies, including Cisco, Verizon Inc, and Motorola Solution, and institutions from various industries have pledged to expand opportunities for Americans and contribute to building a strong cyber workforce. These commitments include investing in training programs, offering apprenticeships, and removing four-year degree requirements in job postings when appropriate.
Skills-based hiring is gaining traction across various sectors in the workforce, from technology and healthcare to manufacturing and retail. According to a report published by Allied OneSource, some employers are also using pre-employment assessments and structured interviews focused on skills to better evaluate candidates’ abilities to perform in specific roles.
The White House has said that the U.S. has over 500,000 open cybersecurity positions, and that this collaborative effort between the government and private sector is a step towards addressing the talent gap.
