Washington – Business Roundtable today announced a new initiative to help companies strengthen cybersecurity talent pipelines, with a particular focus on entry-level roles. The Cybersecurity Workforce Initiative will support companies in building a cybersecurity workforce both inside and outside their companies, addressing a skills gap in a critical discipline while expanding opportunity for workers.
“The persistent cybersecurity talent shortage is a risk to both national security and economic competitiveness. We will only make progress in closing this gap by working together to create new pathways into cybersecurity, including recruiting and training a new set of security professionals and upskilling existing talent in our industries,” said Andrew McMahon, Chief Executive Officer and President of Guardian Life.
The Cybersecurity Workforce Initiative will focus on establishing industry-recognized, skills-based career pathways from entry level through advancement, opening job opportunities in cybersecurity to those without four-year degrees. This initiative will also include expanding upskilling programs for the incumbent workforce, and outreach to the U.S. military veteran and military spouse population for cybersecurity roles.
On the significance of this issue against the backdrop of the broader labor market challenges, Business Roundtable Education and Workforce Chair Scott Kirby, CEO of United, said: “The cybersecurity shortage creates a real risk that demands action across industries. This new BRT initiative will complement our existing work to engage more Americans in the workforce.”
Background
According to tracking from Cyberseek, the number of cybersecurity job openings is over 760,000 as of November 2022. Yet the ratio of currently employed cybersecurity workers to job openings has remained mostly unchanged since 2015. Increased employer demand is one driver of this shortage—in the last 10 years, the number of cybersecurity job postings has grown three times faster than the overall IT job market.
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The Cybersecurity Workforce Initiative is one way Business Roundtable companies are investing in workforce development. Learn more about private sector initiatives to invest in workers and communities at businessroundtable.org.