Ever since I started working in education, from K-12 to higher ed, and now to the professional sector, I envisioned this transformative trifecta that could lead to the ultimate educational outcome – employability. What if we found a way to create a pipeline that interconnected what are now completely disparate entities in order to truly solve the skills gap and do what education is really meant to do – get people employed? In the simplest of terms, imagine three entities – corporations, institutions of learning (traditional and non-traditional) and providers – working fully together to train students from all communities to secure the jobs we need filled. I never expected to find the pathway to this dream at an association.
At ISACA, we are about to embark on something exciting. There are millions of unfilled jobs in cybersecurity right now. There are also women and men in communities all over the world that are not in the jobs that will truly propel them forward and allow them to achieve the financial stability they need. Some of these people are products of a failed education system. Some did not have the guidance and support at home that they needed. Is it crazy to think that a single mom working two retail jobs could pivot and become a cybersecurity analyst? We believe it’s not.
Let me provide a bit of background on ISACA – for those who might not be as familiar – to lay the foundation for what we are doing. We are a global, non-profit with more than 140,000 members who are practitioners across all fields of technology – some at the very top of their fields. We are also a chapter organization, with chapters in pretty much every major city and region in the world. We produce content and offer certifications and certificates in a number of fields in tech – cyber, risk, audit, governance, blockchain, and others on the near horizon. ISACA also has an independent foundation, One in Tech, that supports a number of philanthropic endeavors all over the world.
In December of 2019, we approached City Colleges in Chicago, one of the largest community college systems in the nation with 77,000 students, with an idea. What if we were able to run certification-based cyber programs at each of the campuses? What if the instructors were actual practitioners in cyber, supplied by ISACA’s Chicago chapter? What if we also were able to secure corporations that would offer jobs/internships/apprenticeships/mentoring to every student that graduated the program and met key criteria? Further, what if our foundation, or chapters, or corporations, funded the students going through the program?
This is exactly what we are doing – starting at City Colleges, but with the goal of going to other cities all over the world. It’s the trifecta, where a college or school system can work with ISACA to provide the relevant courses to secure the unfilled jobs at local corporations – institutions, companies and providers working together. This is exactly how education is supposed to work. In this case, we are partnering with a college. The next one may be a school district or a community center. There are no limits.
I am really excited to see this program come to fruition and to find ways for us to expand beyond Chicago to other cities where there is need and opportunity. I am also excited to find new areas for us to focus on beyond cyber, where more new jobs are being created. Most of all, I am excited about the life-changing aspect of a program like this. The idea that we can take anyone who may feel they are hitting a dead end and place them in a career that is growing and unlimited in its potential is truly inspiring. With the right push, mentoring, and support, anything is possible for everyone.
Let me know if you would like to learn more and get involved in our journey.