THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

FACT SHEET

Federal Cyber Services Training and Education Initiative

The President announced today a $25 million funding proposal for the Federal Cyber Services (FCS) Training and Education initiative led by OPM. The demand for information technologists and information security specialists has grown faster than the supply. In both the public and the private sector, there is a dearth of qualified new professionals in information security. The National Plan for National Information Infrastructure, which details the FCS initiative, calls for the following five programs to address this challenge. Vigorous implementation of these programs will help address the current shortages of information security personnel.

• A study by the Office of Personnel Management to identify and develop competencies for federal information technology (IT) security positions, and the associated training and certification requirements.
• The development of Centers of IT Excellence to establish competencies and certify current Federal IT workers and maintain their information security skill levels throughout their careers.
• The creation of a Scholarship for Service (SFS) program to recruit and educate the next generation of Federal IT managers by awarding scholarships for the study of information security, in return for a commitment to work for a specified time for the federal government. This program will also support the development of information security faculty.
• The development of a high school recruitment and training initiative to identify promising high school students for participation in summer work and internship programs that would lead to certification to Federal IT workforce standards and possible future employment.
• The development and implementation of a Federal INFOSEC awareness curriculum aimed at ensuring computer security literacy throughout the entire Federal workforce.

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