IT security at federal agencies will get a boost this month from the first class of 46 students, mostly midcareer IT professionals, who have completed training under a federal scholarship-for-service program. Cybercorps, as the program is called, was created in 2000 to produce a pool of security-trained IT professionals obligated to work for the government. The program provides up to two years of scholarship funding for students studying information security in return for a commitment to work an equal amount of time for the federal government. “It will really impact the skill [shortage] across government,” said Ira Hobbs, the acting CIO at the U.S. Department of Agriculture who also heads the education and workforce efforts on the interdepartmental CIO Council. The 46 students who completed the training have already been placed in federal jobs, he said at this year’s annual E-Gov conference here. The graduates, about half of whom come from private-sector jobs, were trained at some of the 36 participating colleges and universities. The program provides scholarships and stipends to the students. The Cybercorps program is part of the National Plan for Information Systems Protection developed by the White House. The Bush administration sought about $11 million in funding for the program in this year’s budget. Full Story
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