Virginia first state to adopt NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework

Virginia is the first state to formally adopt the new National Initiative for Cyber Security Education Cybersecurity Workforce Framework and incorporate it into existing cyber security education and hiring efforts.

“Adding this framework to our current efforts led by the Secretaries of Technology, Education, Commerce and Trade, and Administration will strengthen the commonwealth’s ability to address the high demand for skilled cyber security professionals and enhance our position as a global  leader in cyber security,” Governor McAuliffe said. “Virginia has one of the highest concentrations of cyber professionals in the country, but we need to continue to evolve our workforce education and training efforts to support Virginia’s businesses as they work to meet the challenges of data security and integrity and thwart compromising cyberattacks.”

The new framework will provide state agencies and educational institutions with a common, consistent lexicon that categorizes and describes cybersecurity jobs by category, specialty area, and work role. It is also a resource for firms and/or industry sectors with shared needs for a cyber workforce. Employers can use the framework to provide guidance for Virginia’s workforce education and training partners to support more strategic workforce development efforts statewide.

Virginia’s K-12 career technical education programs and community college system have adopted curriculum development models consistent with the NICE framework. This allows Virginia to align secondary and post-secondary education and training to better support the growing demand for the cluster of cyber security occupations in Virginia.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) coordinated the development of the NICE Framework with a wide variety of stakeholders from the public and private sectors.  Additionally, NIST is leading the development of a report to the President on cybersecurity workforce as required by a federal Executive Order. Widespread adoption of the NICE Framework is expected to figure prominently in recommendations “to support the growth and sustainment of a workforce that is skilled in cybersecurity and related fields as the foundation for achieving our objectives in cyberspace.”