Build (Don’t Buy): Solving the Cybersecurity Talent Shortage

In our research, we offer suggestions regarding the following:

1. Which candidates are ideal for reskilling?
2. Which skills should companies and regional training and workforce partners develop?

Sentz and Saleh dove into these questions, saying that some of the best candidates for cyber positions can be found in IT or Finance. If a company has a surplus of employees in these two areas and is simultaneously looking to hire for cybersecurity, hiring internally from IT or Finance will produce the biggest bang for their buck. When it comes to skills, our research shows that the existing skill clusters in every city are unique, meaning that re-skilling employees will depend on the skill gaps already present in the region and the specific needs of the company itself.

As the US addresses the cybersecurity talent shortage, everyone has a role to play

• Employers should invest time and money in helping employees acquire cybersecurity microcredentials.
• Colleges, universities, and other training organizations can focus on the key skills needed at the local or regional level and help upskill the many working adults who might be looking for new employment, plus a generation of new grads hungry for good opportunity in a disrupted labor market.
• Regions and cities have a vital role in addressing the crisis as they broker between local businesses and higher education to fill the talent gap. Such data will help them address specific regional needs.