Illinois Seeks Veterans to Fill Cybersecurity Workforce Void
Chicago, IL (PRWEB) April 15, 2014 -- In a combined effort to provide career opportunities for veterans in Illinois, as well as solve the workforce shortage in the cybersecurity industry, the State of Illinois in partnership with U.S. Cyber Challenge, Cyber Aces and Moraine Valley Community College, are offering an opportunity for veterans to participate in a training camp this summer to educate and equip talented individuals in cybersecurity skills. This cyber camp will be hosted at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills from August 4-8, 2014.
“Our veterans need in-demand jobs and the U.S. Cyber Challenge helps link them up with a fast-growing, high-tech industry,” Governor Pat Quinn said. “The U.S. Cyber Challenge is the perfect pairing of a willing workforce with an industry that needs skilled and motivated workers.”
In order to attend the U.S. Cyber Challenge Summer Cyber Camp, participants must compete in Cyber Quests, a free online competition that launches on April 16, 2014. Cyber Quests is an engaging and challenging online contest open to high school and college students, and professionals nationwide. Top performers in Cyber Quests will be invited to attend the Summer Cyber Camp. Registration is currently open for Cyber Quests and interested parties can register at USCC.CyberQuests.org. Registration closes on April 29, 2014 and the competition closes on April 30, 2014. The online competition and camps are designed to improve cybersecurity skills, provide training & mentorship from world-class instructors and highlight skills for potential employers.
The Illinois camp will feature one week of specialized sessions by college faculty, SANS Institute senior instructors and cybersecurity experts, capped off by a live competition and awards ceremony on the final day. In addition to providing expert training for participants to improve their skills and marketability, the Cyber Camps will also provide students the opportunity to engage with major technology companies and government agencies at an onsite career fair for scholarship, internship and employment opportunities.
“Veterans are the ideal participants for our cybersecurity competitions and camps as they have a depth of patriotism needed to defend our country from threats as well as a unique perspective from their experiences in our military,” said Karen S. Evans, National Director of U.S. Cyber Challenge. “Our country, in both the private and public sectors, is in great need of talented individuals in the cybersecurity field. Therefore, we have created our competitions and camps to discover talent, provide participants with expert training, and connect these skilled students and professionals with companies and organizations with career opportunities.”
“The staff at Moraine Valley is enthusiastic about working with US Cyber Challenge,” states Dr. John Sands, department chair for Computer Integrated Technologies at Moraine Valley Community College, “This partnership helps to address the shortage of cybersecurity specialists in enables us provide excellent opportunities to our local veteran community.”
Cyber Aces will be offering a virtual career fair in conjunction with the Cyber Camp taking place in June. This virtual career fair will allow sponsors from across the country to connect with the rising cybersecurity talent participating in these U.S. Cyber Challenge camps. For more information about the virtual career fair, visit http://www.CyberAces.org.
U.S. Cyber Challenge is supported in part through sponsorships by Cyber Aces, iSight Partners, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Federal CIO Council, Avue Technologies and SANS Institute.
For information about becoming a sponsor of a Summer Cyber Camp, contact Karen S. Evans, National Director at kevans(at)uscyberchallenge(dot)org.
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About U.S. Cyber Challenge:
U.S. Cyber Challenge (USCC) is a program of the Council on CyberSecurity, a 501(c)(3) organization, and has the mission to significantly reduce the shortage in the cyber workforce by serving as the premier program to identify, attract, recruit and place the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. The goal of U.S. Cyber Challenge is to find 10,000 of America's best and brightest to fill the ranks of cybersecurity professionals where their skills can be of the greatest value to the nation. For more information, visit http://www.USCyberChallenge.org.
About Cyber Aces
The Cyber Aces Foundation discovers talent and provides a pathway to employment in critical cybersecurity jobs. The foundation challenges students, veterans and jobseekers with training and competition, develops their abilities with cybersecurity education and prepares them for cybersecurity careers. It is a 501(c)(3) organization. For more, visit cyberaces.org.
Lynn Dohm, Nelly Group, LLC, +1 (815) 717-6546, [email protected]
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