Cybersecurity is one of the biggest concerns facing IT service providers and the large cybersecurity workforce gap only exacerbates the problem. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), there will be 3.4 million empty cybersecurity positions by 2025, and a lack of talent or human failure will be responsible for over half of significant cybersecurity incidents.
Today, organizations like NPower are focused on working towards closing the skills gap through innovative training approaches. NPower, a national nonprofit that provides free technology training for careers in IT to military-connected individuals and young adults from under-represented communities, has an 88 percent employer placement rate in the cyber industry for its graduates.
Closing the gap with NPower
Director of Advance Training Nick Javaid and Nelson Abbott, Senior Director, Advanced Program Operations at NPower detailed to Channel Insider how their organization is aiming to close the growing cyber skills gap.
In 2025, the organization plans to train 150 individuals through its cybersecurity program while expanding opportunities for veterans and transitioning service members by enrolling 300 to 400 participants in its SkillBridge Cybersecurity program. This program is in partnership with the Department of Defense, helping service members gain valuable tech skills, creating a direct pipeline for veterans to enter the tech workforce.
NPower has updated its curriculum to align with NICE standards to ensure that the training is comprehensive and meets the industry’s current demands. Additionally, NPower’s leadership team is actively contributing to cybersecurity working groups, where they provide insights and best practices to help shape effective training and hiring strategies that address the ongoing cyber talent shortage.
All these initiatives harken back to the 2030 roadmap NPower established to leverage technology so they can evolve their training delivery model. The roadmap set a goal of growing to reach 15,000 students annually by 2030.
How service providers can increase their cybersecurity posture
To strengthen cybersecurity in 2025, NPower recommends doing the following:
- Leverage AI for real-time threat detection and response, enforce multi-factor authentication across all access points, and adopt a zero trust architecture to ensure continuous verification of all users and devices.
- Regularly update security training for both staff and customers, along with automating system updates and patch management to swiftly address vulnerabilities.
- Partner with cybersecurity experts for regular audits, penetration testing, and risk assessments to help identify and address potential weaknesses to fortify overall defenses.
In addition to these recommendations, organizations can bring about changes to their hiring approaches for improving cybersecurity and narrow the cyber skills gap.
To address the growing cyber skills gap, organizations should shift toward skills-based hiring models, which focuses on a candidate’s capabilities rather than traditional qualifications like degrees. In doing so, enterprises can broaden their applicant pool and ensure individuals with practical, hands-on experience receive consideration.
Furthermore, leveraging tools and resources for modernizing hiring processes is key. NPower’s Diversity Directive is a resource that includes toolkits for hiring, retention, and the advancement of diverse candidates.
Lastly, organizations should invest in partnerships with training and workforce development programs to tap into diverse talent pipelines. Impending apprenticeships or cybersecurity boot camps can help upskill current employees or new hires to meet evolving cyber threats. Combining this with ongoing mentorship and career development opportunities are essential to retaining and advancing talent in cybersecurity.
Learning through NPower
NPower’s commitment to comprehensive services, and particularly their dedicated Social Support Managers, are a highlight for organizations looking to increase their cybersecurity prowess. They take a holistic approach to ensure students not only succeed in their training, but also receive the emotional, financial, and logistical support needed to thrive.
Actively seeking ways to attract underrepresented groups is another way in which NPower stands out versus other tech training programs. By focusing on young adults between the ages of 18 and 26, as well as military-connected individuals from under-resourced and underrepresented communities, particularly those from low- to moderate-income households, are key to NPower’s strategy of trying to close the cyber skills gap in the industry.
Read more about the most in-demand job skills and what they mean for the tech industry.