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A cyber-physical systems testbed; cutting-edge research projects across AI and next-gen networks; a cybersecurity apprenticeship program; and a cybersecurity accelerator are just a sampling of the outcomes from George Mason University’s role as the NoVa Node headquarters of the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI), Virginia’s main access point for workforce development cybersecurity innovation, and research.
This is the first of a three-part series about the NoVa Node’s three foci: workforce development, innovation and entrepreneurship, and research.
According to Jordan Mason, NoVa Node program manager, all programs in the node check at least two of those boxes, but he emphasized that NoVa Node is particularly strong in workforce development. From traineeships to internships for different ages, the NoVa Node has opportunities for people interested in learning more.
“There are more than 50,000 cybersecurity job openings in Virginia and the existing pipeline of cybersecurity-related degree-seeking candidates is not enough to fill the demand,” said Liza Wilson Durant, CCI NoVa Node director and associate provost for strategic initiatives at George Mason. “CCI NoVa Node programs widen the pipeline and present new sources of talent, including those with degrees outside of the typical cybersecurity pathway, but with hands-on skills developed in the field. Our programs have touched thousands, and we know we are having an impact.”
The node features a cybersecurity traineeship targeting people who, at the end of the program, will be ready for full-time, entry-level cybersecurity positions. The traineeship builds a bridge for people with non-technical or non-cybersecurity backgrounds, typically either recent grads or career transitioners looking to enter the field.
Mason said, “We pay them to go through a seven-week, full-time cyber fundamentals boot camp. And then we work to place them in 12-week apprenticeships. CCI trainees have been placed with Peraton, one of the first adopters of the program, as well as other government contractors and some small businesses. One graduate from our program landed a position with TikTok and another with Amazon Web Services.”
"The node also runs a subsidized internship program," said Mason, with a sliding scale determining level of support based on company size. “Small and start-up companies have limited resources to support interns and yet they are excellent training ground, providing roles with significant responsibility and opportunities for technical training,” said Durant. NoVa Node’s support of startups and early-stage companies provides secondary reinforcement of the innovation and entrepreneurship foci.
President and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, Victor Hoskins, stressed the need for a skilled technical workforce in the region. “We have five times the data center capacity of Silicon Valley. We have three times the data center capacity of Singapore. So, when you look at what our global competitors would be, we are way ahead of them in terms of their infrastructure capacity. And when you get ahead in the infrastructure, you also must have the talent to run it.”
Recognizing the importance of filling the pipeline when the talent is still deciding on a career path, NoVa Node runs a summer high school internship program partnering with the Children's Science Center, part of the Northern Virginia Science Foundation. The competitive application process yielded 45 students in a recent cohort. Mason said, “The candidate interns go through a two-week professional skills boot camp and are then placed in a five-week paid internship.”
Xin-Wen Wu, an associate professor at the University of Mary Washington, said CCI was instrumental in the university’s growth in cybersecurity education and research. "We have hosted summer camps for high school students, funded faculty-led research involving undergraduate CCI Scholars, and provided students with access to paid internships and experiential learning opportunities. These initiatives have significantly advanced UMW’s research capabilities and contributed to the development of a skilled cybersecurity workforce.”
Coming up next: Innovation and Entrepreneurship