The company found that approximately 1 out 3 cybersecurity job vacancies go unfilled. There are 464,000 open jobs that require security skills, which accounts for 6% of the total job openings. This means that over 1 in every 20 vacancies in the U.S. is for a cybersecurity position. Microsoft also points out that these are “great jobs,” with an average salary of $105,800 per year, and a wide variety of roles. Furthermore, most of these openings do not require a full four-year college degree. Prospects can qualify with an “industry-recognized certificate or by getting a certificate or associate degree from a community college.” Based on these findings, Microsoft has decided to collaborate with U.S. community colleges in a national campaign to improve the country’s cybersecurity capabilities. Company President Brad Smith believes Microsoft can make a meaningful difference in addressing the existing worker shortage. “We should be optimistic that, in the next 12-24 months, we can start to make a real dent,” Smith added.
Why Community Colleges?
Microsoft has very high aspirations for community colleges in its cybersecurity training campaign. In fact, the company believes that, with some “targeted assistance,” they can help address the existing shortage in the workforce. The software giant highlighted a few strong attributes of community colleges, which include accessibility, flexibility, affordability, and diversity of students. Community colleges serve a large variety of students, ranging from recent high school graduates to people looking for skill training to join the workforce.
Details of Microsoft’s Cybersecurity Jobs Campaign
Microsoft’s new campaign aims to fill 250,000 cybersecurity jobs by 2025. Its initial steps for this campaign include:
Creating a free curriculum that will be available to every U.S. public community college. The curriculum will be ready to teach and developed by industry professionals. Impart training to cybersecurity faculty, both new and existing, at 150 community colleges. The company plans to work with will the National Cybersecurity Training & Education Center (NCyTE) to carry this out. Provide scholarships, including tuition and financial aid, to 25,000 students.
Additionally, Microsoft announced it plans to support other higher education institutions, like “four-year colleges, including the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic-Serving Institutions.” Microsoft and the U.S. have faced a tumultuous year with cybersecurity attacks, particularly from attacks backed by nation-states. The Microsoft Exchange hack from earlier this year led to the country taking a very serious view of the growing challenge. If you want to learn more about IT careers in the U.S., such as what types of jobs are in demand, and where most IT jobs are located, check out our resource here.
