Mikulski, Cardin, Sarbanes, & O'Malley Announce New Opportunity for Training for Jobs of the Future in Maryland

Press Release

U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Benjamin L. Cardin, Congressman John Sarbanes (all D-Md.), and Governor Martin O'Malley today announced new cyber security job training opportunities for 1,000 Marylanders. The announcement was made at ARINC, an Annapolis-based leader in cyber security and a partner in the Pathways to Cyber Security Careers Consortium, a consortium of academic, industry and government partners awarded a nearly $5 million, three-year, competitive Community-Based Job Training grant from the U.S. Department of Labor (DoL).

"This is about jobs, jobs, jobs -- jobs that keep the country safe and keep the economy strong. It's about giving people the tools they need to prepare for the jobs of the future," Senator Mikulski said. "With these funds, the Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation - alongside the Mid-Maryland Workforce Investment System in Howard and Carroll Counties, as well as the Baltimore Mayor's office of Employment Development - will train a new pipeline of workers to fill jobs in cyber security, which are needed now and will be needed even more as Maryland continues to be the national leader in cyber. This is a win-win opportunity to help save lives, transform lives and transform communities."

The Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation, in partnership with community colleges in Anne Arundel, Carroll and Howard counties; University of Maryland-University College; and more than a dozen industry and government partners such as ARINC, was awarded $4,953,035 to create a new training program in cyber security and information assurance, which will lead to more than 765 students attaining industry credentials in the field during the course of the grant and to 1,000 students receiving training in the field.

employee working at ARINC"This DoL grant is important for job creation and will help ensure our nation's future cyber security," said Senator Cardin, chairman of the Homeland Security and Terrorism Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee. "I am committed to making sure that Marylanders have the training and skills to get jobs in the growing field of cyber security and I applaud the partnership that it creates between Anne Arundel Community College and the business community. We all have the same goal and that is to protect our nation's Internet from an attack by terrorists who want to disrupt our communications network."

"I'm very pleased that these federal job training funds are flowing into Maryland," said Congressman Sarbanes. "Cyber security is a tremendous growth field for this region and we must prepare Marylanders to take advantage of job opportunities in the cyber security industry."

"Threats such as identity theft, network viruses, loss of sensitive information and other malicious activity are part of the ever evolving world of cyber information and communications," said Governor O'Malley. "As public servants, our most solemn obligation is to protect the safety of the citizens we serve, and that includes protection from cyber threats. All Marylanders have an obligation to protect themselves as well, as we address this modern security threat as One Maryland."
"We are pleased to be part of this strategic collaboration of industry, academia and government working together on the important mission of ensuring an upcoming workforce that is trained on cyber security and information assurance," said John Belcher, Chairman & CEO of ARINC.

"I want to expressly thank Senator Mikulski and the Maryland delegation for her and their outstanding leadership and support for all of Maryland's community colleges as we work to meet the state's existing and emerging workforce needs," said Dr. Martha Smith, President of Anne Arundel Community College "Through this grant Anne Arundel Community College will provide education and training for workers entering the field of Cyber Security as well as for those already in the field needing to increase their knowledge and skills.

"This grant will provide Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation and our other workforce partners with additional funds to retain our Dislocated Workers and get them back to work sooner," AAWDC President and CEO Kirkland Murray said.

Nationwide, the U. S. Department of Labor awarded $125 million in Community-Based Job Training grants through a competitive process to support workforce training for high-growth/high-demand industries through the national system of community, technical, and tribal colleges. A wide range of industries, including green industries, health care, transportation and advanced manufacturing, are considered high-growth or high-demand.

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