Priya PatelTLDR:
- Texas Tech University received a grant from NIST to train cybersecurity workforce
- The grant will be used to establish the West Texas Cyber Workforce Development Consortium
Texas Tech University was one of 18 recipients of a grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology to enhance and strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity workforce. The university plans to establish the West Texas Cyber Workforce Development Consortium with a focus on training K-12s, undergraduates, graduates, and professionals in real-world cyber-physical security applications for critical infrastructure facilities such as power systems, renewable energy, water and wastewater, and oil and gas. The program aims to address the current cybersecurity skills gap in the region and build partnerships with academia, utilities, national labs, and private companies involved in critical infrastructure cybersecurity.
According to Laurie E. Locasio, commerce department undersecretary and NIST director, investing in the cybersecurity workforce is essential for economic and national security. The Texas Tech program will focus on personal cybersecurity standards validation, research and development, field testing/demonstration of cybersecurity/cyber-physical security tools, and workforce development in cybersecurity/cyber-physical security. The university has already trained over 200 individuals from local industries and educational institutions through a program overseen by the Texas Workforce Commission since 2020.
