The Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC), an advocacy group for Maryland’s 16 community colleges, and BCR Cyber, a provider of cybersecurity training services, have received a $935,680 grant to help fund their Cyber Workforce Accelerator (CWA).
Funding for the grant came from the Equitech Growth Fund that is part of the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO).
The CWA provides all 16 of Maryland’s community colleges with access to BCR Cyber Series 3000 cyber ranges which offers training and education technology to train and certify entry level IT and cyber practitioners. According to MACC and BCR Cyber, the new grant will facilitate procurement, configuration, and deployment of three BCR Cyber Series 3000 cyber ranges. The CWA will now have 13 cyber ranges available to all Maryland community colleges.
“This latest grant substantially impacts Maryland’s cybersecurity training and job placement capabilities by providing the capacity to serve thousands of community college cyber students and trainees in Maryland,” says Michael Spector, president of BCR Cyber. “We are extremely grateful to TEDCO for selecting the Cyber Workforce Accelerator program not only to help fill a significant technology job gap in our state, but also to create life-changing career opportunities for Marylanders.”
More broadly, TEDCO’s Equitech Growth Fund provides grants for infrastructure and workforce development initiatives that support Maryland’s economic competitiveness and inclusive growth of emerging and advanced industries in the state.
The Equitech Growth Commission is tasked with developing a long-term strategic plan and 10-year goals for growing the state’s innovation economy to be competitive with other states and regions when it comes to growing, attracting, and retaining a skilled workforce and high-growth businesses.
“Maryland continues to lead the nation in the use of cyber ranges at community colleges for workforce development and career advancement for underserved citizens. The Cyber Workforce Accelerator is a model that can be replicated in every state in the U.S.,” Spector said.
BCR Cyber has worked to develop a public-private consortium of more than 35 cybersecurity companies and government agencies. The consortium will guide course content development and recruit entry-level employees trained at the community college cyber ranges. Each of these entities have pledged significant leveraged resources to this project.
