Security analyst, systems administrator or cybersecurity engineer are just a few names of the approximately 350,000 cybersecurity jobs that went unfilled last year. That number of job openings is expected to reach 3.5 million by 2021, according to a report by Cybersecurity Ventures.
As a high demand for skilled laborers in cybersecurity and information technology continues – and concerns surge about the nation’s national security – historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have stepped up to train their students for the jobs of the future.
Across the country, HBCUs and predominantly Black institutions (PBIs) recognized the need to build capacity and diversify the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Several institutions now have emerging cybersecurity programs, while others – such as Norfolk State University – are expanding their training initiatives and programs with new resources and research facilities on campus.
“It is well known that HBCUs produce the most Black STEM PhDs,” says Dr. Aurelia T. Williams, chair of the Computer Science Department at Norfolk State. “If we are to fulfill those cybersecurity positions with a talented and diverse pool, then HBCUs must be part of the equation.”
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates that the cybersecurity profession, particularly information security analyst jobs, is projected to grow 28 percent between 2016 and 2026, much faster than average for all occupations. Most of the available positions will require a bachelor’s degree or similar industry-based certifications.
However, African-Americans make up merely 3 percent of information security analysts in the United States, says Coppin State University president Dr. Maria Thompson.
As a result of predicted cybersecurity employment shortages, demand for qualified workers has been categorized as an “emergency,” Williams adds. Cyberattacks are also expected to become more common, according to BLS.
