BCR Cyber

Happy New Year everyone! ICYMI, we recently announced that the Cyber Workforce Accelerator received a $935,680 grant through the new Equitech Growth Fund from TEDCO. 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. Read all about it in this Government Technology article. https://lnkd.in/e82b65xZ #cybersecurity #worforcedevelopment #communitycolleges #Maryland #jobtraining #techjobs

"To counter increased #cybersecurity threats, many organizations have turned to traditional recruitment enticements – offering on-the-job training, signing bonuses, and a wide range of benefits to attract well-trained IT workers. Sadly, they have done little to mitigate the bigger issue: employers need qualified new cyber hires to be able to hit the ground running." In this GTSC's Homeland Security Today article, BCR Cyber president, Michael S., explains how the Cyber Workforce Accelerator, is actively working to combat this issue in Maryland while also helping to close the cybersecurity talent gap. https://lnkd.in/dV_k9yzC #workforcedevelopment #cyberjobs #cybersecuritytalentgap #Maryland #communitycolleges

In case you missed it, Government Technology ran a story on the new round of funding for the Cyber Workforce Accelerator (CWA) program. Developed by the Maryland Association of Community Colleges and BCR Cyber, the CWA aims to enhance cyber ranges and address tech and #cybersecurity talent gaps in Maryland, with a special focus on reaching under-represented groups, including women and people of color. https://lnkd.in/e67FxBTU #maryland #communitycolleges #workforcedevelopment #MACo #techjobs

Are you attending the Maryland Association of Counties Winter Conference next week? BCR Cyber is sponsoring and will briefly speak at “The AI Advantage: Enhancing County Services and Operations” session on Wednesday the 11th at 1:30 p.m. Come check it out. https://lnkd.in/e4fmrs4h #MACo #Maryland #MACoCon #AI #artificialintelligence

Gov. Wes Moore just announced a $1.8 million award to BCR Cyber and the Maryland Association of Community Colleges to bolster Maryland's cybersecurity talent pipeline. The announcement was during a ribbon cutting at Howard Community College for a cyber range: a special training environment that simulates real-world cyberattacks. “Cyber ranges provide the hands-on experience that employers demand and workers seek,” explains Maryland Department of Labor Secretary Portia Wu. This pilot investment will give 1,100 prospective cybersecurity professionals access to cyber range training! https://lnkd.in/eusbFPMR #MDOL #MDlabor #MarylandLabor

National Cyber Director Harry Coker Jr. and Deputy National Cyber Director Harry Wingo attended Howard Community College’s Cyber Range ribbon-cutting ceremony. The new cyber range will prepare students to join the nation's cyber workforce by simulating real-world cyberattacks and enable them to get the hands-on experience needed to protect the country in the future.

ICYMI - The Maryland Association of Community Colleges and BCR Cyber have been awarded $1.8 million through the Accelerating Cyber Careers grant by the Maryland Department of Labor. Governor Wes Moore announced the award during a ribbon cutting at Howard Community College yesterday. The funding will help make Maryland more competitive by empowering all of Maryland’s 16 community colleges to offer cutting-edge experiential training that both complements and enhances technical skills through new cyber ranges. Read all about this here: https://lnkd.in/ep_7ageS #cybersecurity #Maryland #communitycollege #workforcedevelopment #cybertraining #cybercareers

We're thrilled to spotlight BCR Cyber and their instrumental role in a groundbreaking initiative for workforce development in Maryland. The organization is partnering with Maryland Association of Community Colleges to integrate cyber ranges into community colleges across the state—an innovative step toward bridging the cybersecurity workforce skills gap. With the support of BCR Cyber, this initiative combines $2M in federal funds to launch the Cybersecurity Workforce Accelerator program. These cyber ranges will help fill the 30,000+ cybersecurity job openings in Maryland and open thousands of career opportunities for students in the state. The project is set to make Maryland the first state to use cyber range technology in such a large-scale workforce development effort—an important step toward ensuring Maryland leads the nation in cybersecurity training and workforce development. As BCR Cyber President Michael Spector said, "this partnership with MACC is a game-changer for cybersecurity careers in Maryland." BCR Cyber’s strong relationships with over 35 private and public sector partners, including local government programs and colleges, make them the ideal partner for this program. This collaboration isn’t just a win for Maryland—it’s a model for the nation, and we’re excited to see how it accelerates cybersecurity workforce development nationwide. Pictured: Bruce Spector, Steve Spector, Tasha Cornish, Michael Spector, and Mike Doyle Governor Wes Moore Bruce Spector, Chairman, BCR Cyber and Legislative Co-Chair, Cybersecurity Association Dr. Brad Phillips, Executive Director, Maryland Association of Community Colleges Dr. Daria Willis, President, Howard Community College #Cybersecurity #WorkforceDevelopment #CyberRanges #BCRCyber #CyberTraining #Maryland #FutureOfCyber #CareerOpportunities #CyberSkills #CyberWorkforce

Howard Community College's (HCC) President Daria J. Willis, Ph.D. was honored to host today's Cyber Range ribbon-cutting ceremony with Gov. Wes Moore, the Office of the National Cyber Director, The White House, our partners from BCR Cyber, the Maryland Association of Community Colleges, and friends of the college. HCC is proud to be the first of Maryland's 16 community colleges to launch this impactful and necessary program.

Thank you #Veterans.