The leading figure on the House Homeland Security Committee is gearing up to introduce a new piece of legislation aimed at positioning the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) as a pivotal player in managing a national cyber talent development system.
According to insiders familiar with Chairman Mark Green’s (R-Tenn.) plans, the upcoming bill is designed to establish a program similar to a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) but focused on cybersecurity careers.
An aide to the committee, who requested anonymity, shared that the proposed legislation would create a “skills-focused, ROTC-style cyber talent pipeline.” The bill also seeks to utilize CISA, the federal government’s primary cybersecurity agency, to train, recruit, and retain cyber experts, as well as to bolster collaborative defense for federal civilian networks.
The aim is to address the shortage of cyber professionals across all federal civilian agencies, with CISA playing a central role in this initiative.
Additionally, the bill is expected to encourage skills-based cybersecurity education at community colleges and technical schools, targeting the filling of cyber job openings within federal, state, and local government sectors.
The specific responsibilities for CISA under this legislation are still being finalized, but it’s clear that CISA will be central to this effort, unlike other federal agencies such as the Office of Personnel Management or the National Science Foundation, which also deal with workforce and educational issues.
This initiative might complement the National Science Foundation’s Cybercorps “Scholarship-for-Service” program, which provides scholarships to students in exchange for their commitment to work at federal agencies post-graduation.
Green has highlighted this workforce bill as a top priority for the year. In July, he and CISA Director Jen Easterly addressed cybersecurity workforce shortages during a visit to Vanderbilt University. Green emphasized the critical nature of closing the cybersecurity workforce gap to mitigate risks from criminals and adversaries.
CyberSeek, a project supported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, reports nearly 470,000 cybersecurity job openings across the nation. The emphasis on skills-based hiring reflects a broader trend to prioritize practical skills over traditional four-year degrees.
The White House Office of the National Cyber Director and the Office of Personnel Management are spearheading efforts to transition all government IT positions to skills-based hiring by next summer. Tara Wisniewski from ISC2 highlighted the growing skepticism about the value of four-year degrees in favor of continuous, skills-based learning.
Should CISA take on a national cyber workforce oversight role, it would mark a significant expansion of the agency’s current responsibilities. Experts believe CISA’s extensive experience in cybersecurity and its governmental coordination role position it well to identify and support effective educational programs.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have shown a unified interest in expanding the cyber workforce. Recent bipartisan efforts include the re-introduction of the Federal Cybersecurity Expansion Act, which proposes creating a cybersecurity apprenticeship program at CISA and a pilot program at the Department of Veterans Affairs for training veterans.
However, with the presidential election approaching, passing any cybersecurity legislation, including Green’s bill, will be challenging. Historically, Congress has attached such legislation to essential defense and appropriations bills to ensure its passage.
