Thompson, Bonamici Introduce Bill to Strengthen Cybersecurity Education

Washington, D.C – U.S. Representatives Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-PA) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), co-chairs of the Congressional Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus, yesterday introduced the Cybersecurity Skills Integration Act to mark the end of Cybersecurity Awareness Month. This bipartisan legislation seeks to create a pilot program within the Department of Education that will award competitive grants to career and technical education programs that integrate cybersecurity into their curriculum.

In critical infrastructure sectors, like telecommunications, agriculture, energy, or health care, a workforce with basic cybersecurity skills is essential to our public safety. Unfortunately, many training programs in these fields do not place the same emphasis on cybersecurity as they do on physical safety. By working to close the cybersecurity skills gap, this legislation will help better prepare our nation to defend our critical infrastructure from cyber threats.

The bill also requires the Department of Education to coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the defense of the nation's sixteen critical infrastructure sectors, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which promotes a robust ecosystem of cybersecurity education and training, when awarding grants.

"Our society is increasingly reliant on cyber technologies for our most critical infrastructure. As bad actors increase cyberattacks, we must ensure we are protecting our most sensitive data," said Rep. Thompson, Co-Chair of the Career and Technical Education Caucus and senior Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. "This legislation empowers the next generation of learners to have the most sophisticated and comprehensive education to better protect our essential systems and assets for years to come."

“Cybersecurity is important to businesses and governments of all sizes and people of all ages. Growing the cybersecurity workforce will help protect sensitive data and critical infrastructure from bad actors. The bipartisan Cybersecurity Skills Integration Act will provide more students with access to cybersecurity education programs and give them the skills to fill high-wage, in-demand jobs. I’m pleased to join my colleague Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson to update CTE programs to meet the needs of our modern workforce,” said Rep. Bonamici, Co-Chair of the Career and Technical Education Caucus.

"Our nation's schools are the frequent targets of costly and harmful ransomware and other cyberattacks. The Cybersecurity Skills Integration Act offers a timely and necessary investment in the cybersecurity workforce for school districts and other critical infrastructure sectors."—Keith Krueger, Consortium for School Networking CEO (CoSN)

“The rapid evolution of cyber technology creates urgent demands for a skilled workforce adept at confronting modern threats. This legislation would provide vital training that equips learners with the skills necessary to pursue opportunity-filled and rewarding career pathways in protecting critical infrastructure across the country. ACTE appreciates Reps. Thompson and Bonamici’s support of cybersecurity education, particularly during Cybersecurity Awareness Month.” – LeAnn Curry, ACTE Executive Director

"From coding to problem-solving to crisis management and more, building cybersecurity skills through Career Technical Education (CTE) provides learners with the technical and human skills that are increasingly necessary across all career paths. Advance CTE applauds Representatives Thompson and Bonamici for introducing the Cybersecurity Skills Integration Act, which leverages CTE to equip more learners with the skills and knowledge needed not only for their success but also the nation’s.” – Kate Kramer, Advance CTE Executive Director

"Cybersecurity jobs are vital to protecting America's critical infrastructure and offer rewarding careers for hundreds of thousands of people. But the reality is our country needs more skilled individuals to fill these roles. IBM welcomes bipartisan action on this important issue with the introduction of the Cybersecurity Skills Integration Act. We hope to see this bill move forward in both chambers so Americans can get the skills needed for meaningful careers in cybersecurity.” - David Barnes, Vice President, Global Workforce Policy, IBM

Additional Supporting Organizations:
SANS Institute/GIAC Certifications
Palo Alto Networks
 
To read the bill text, click here.