Less than two years ago, we first launched our signature Cyber Career Connection (SC3) initiative. The cybersecurity industry is facing a workforce crisis – the global shortage of cybersecurity professionals is expected to reach a shocking 1.5 million by 2020. We saw an opportunity to address this issue impacting our industry while also undertaking another key problem – the lack of women and people of color in cybersecurity roles. SC3, in collaboration with our partners NPower and Year Up, is designed to train and certify underserved youth for careers in cybersecurity. The program combines key classroom-based training, meaningful hands-on internship experience and support for job placement. Individuals who had never considered careers in cybersecurity had the opportunity to earn Network+, Security+ and Linux+ certifications. Since its inception, SC3 students have successfully launched their cybersecurity careers with internships and full-time employment at major companies, including CBS Interactive, Conde Nast, eBay, GAP, KPMG, SAP and more. Of the graduates, 96 percent are black or Hispanic, and 38 percent are female, fueling a more diverse pipeline.
In 2015, we congratulated our first graduating class, some of which were hired here at Symantec, the program opened its doors to serve U.S. veterans, and we went international by expanding the program to India! As we ring in 2016, we’re excited to announce that we’ve partnered with two more wonderful organizations to continue SC3’s success:
The Stride Center: The Stride Center seeks to empower low income individuals facing barriers to employment by achieving economic self-sufficiency through job skills training, credentials, career coaching, work experience, and job placement assistance. First started in 1999, the center now has five locations serving low-income areas in the San Francisco Bay Area and has trained close to 3000 adults since its inception. The Bay Area may be home to Silicon Valley, the center of the technology industry, yet the Bay Area is ranked 14th in income inequality out of the largest 150 metro areas in the United States, particularly impacting people of color. Stride’s work addresses this issue as well as the shortage of skilled ICT workers and lack of diversity in Tech.
The Stride Center will train and certify a new wave of SC3 students at their Oakland, CA location. Historically, the Stride Center’s students have had little or no digital skills, so prior to enrollment in the SC3 program, they will first have to undergo an intensive digital literacy program. Thirty students – two classes of young adults or veterans – will be enrolled in the SC3 program to gain two industry recognized certifications, Network+ and Security+, as well as career coaching, industry mentors, internship opportunities, and job placement.
Per Scholas: Per Scholas’ mission is to break the cycle of poverty by providing technology education, access, training and job placement for people in underserved communities. They have six training centers across the U.S and currently provide full-time, tuition free IT-Ready trainings that lead to the CompTIA A+ professional certification. Since 1998, Per Scholas has provided employer-driven IT training to more than 5,000 individuals. One of their core goals is to reduce unemployment among veterans, including women veterans. Currently, there are 1.5 million veterans looking for jobs and 2 million who are underemployed.
With this goal in mind, Symantec has partnered with Per Scholas to pilot cybersecurity training specifically for military veterans with emphasis on women veterans in Alexandria and Herndon, Virginia. The program will focus on 50 veterans who will first participate in Per Scholas A+ certification training and job placement program. After completion of the training and 6-months of hands-on work experience, they will enroll in a 16-week cybersecurity training to receive certifications in Network+ and Security+.
Symantec Employee Involvement
These new partnerships with the Stride Center and Per Scholas will create many meaningful, skills-based volunteering opportunities for Symantec employees from mock interviews, mentorship opportunities, and classroom speaking engagements. Our employees’ professional knowledge can enhance the students’ training and career development and we encourage our employees to get involved.
Our Vision
SC3 is part of Symantec’s broader goal to excite, engage and educate 1 million students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education by 2020. Partnering with organizations such as the Stride Center and Per Scholas helps us raise awareness within minority communities of the many long-term career opportunities in cybersecurity. We look forward to working with these two non-profit partners to scale this program even further to close the cybersecurity skills gap.