TrainACE - IT and Cybersecurity Training Blog

Today’s information technology and cybersecurity industries are exploding with job openings – especially in the metro Washington, DC area. There are more available positions in these fields than there are qualified professionals to fill them. There is no better time to begin a cybersecurity career than right now. Whether you are just out of college or you are transitioning from another IT role, getting started in cybersecurity is a solid choice.

The Project Manager career path prepares students for a management-level role in an organization’s IT department. Professionals on this path will learn how to lead, coordinate, integrate, and be accountable for the success of an organizational project while maintaining alignment with the organization’s priorities. The project manager career path will help individuals develop a core technical project leadership skillset. These technical skills apply to leading an IT team and adopt the essential communication and leadership skills required for the role.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2021 turnover rate in the information technology (IT) industry was 22.1 percent, which is higher than many of the other business sectors included in the reporting. Why is there such attrition in technology roles? Is it something that organizations simply have to live with?

Absolutely not. But to prevent employee turnover, organizations have to understand why it’s so important and what they can do to reduce the number of IT employees who leave.

Information security breaches happen. You’ve probably heard about more than a handful in the last several years. Data breaches are a challenge that all organizations face in today’s technologically advanced world.

With those advances comes the darker side of technology – malicious hackers, cybercriminals, and cyberattacks. Protecting sensitive data is more important than ever, and companies are acknowledging the potential risks and finding ways to mitigate them. One solution is ethical hacking.

Cybersecurity team members have unique skills that are in short supply. There are more job openings than there are cybersecurity professionals to fill them, making it more and more important for employers to establish strong teams and tailor their support for those teams so they retain the best talent for their organizations. Talented professionals want to work for organizations that will help them develop skills and knowledge to further their careers. As a result, creating an environment of sustained support and motivation is important for employers to do.

As the demand for cybersecurity professionals continues to grow and the pool of available talent struggles to keep up, hiring managers and recruiters are tasked with finding the best candidates to fill open positions. It's important that they identify, recruit, develop, and retain qualified employees to protect their organizations' data and digital assets. The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) framework is designed to help hiring managers create successful cybersecurity teams and do just that.

The career outlook for jobs in the IT and cybersecurity industries is extremely promising in Washington, D.C., and the country as a whole. Technology positions have low unemployment, and some of the highest-paying roles are found in this field. In CBRE’s recent study, Scoring Tech Talent 2022, Washington DC was ranked fourth best technology talent market in the U.S. The ranking is based on the market’s depth, vitality, and attractiveness to companies seeking talent and IT professionals seeking employment. 

The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) framework is a blueprint that classifies, explains, and manages cybersecurity work. The framework uses a building block approach that allows companies and agencies to speak a common language regarding cybersecurity roles.

The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) is a partnership between academia, the government, and the private sector. The framework focuses on cybersecurity education and workforce development. It is designed to denote and encourage successes in cybersecurity learning as well as to promote change and improvement where it is needed. The NICE Framework is part of the Applied Cybersecurity Division within the Information Technology Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

NICE, or the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NICE works within private and public sectors, the federal government, and academia to improve the quality and quantity of solutions to cybersecurity challenges. It accomplishes this with the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework. Since 2014, the Framework has been available to the public, initially used voluntarily. However, in 2015, the Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Assessment Act was passed. The Act required federal agencies to use the NICE Framework to recruit technology and cybersecurity professionals to fill federal roles.