by Eric D. Lehman, Associate Professor, Communications Specialist
越南直播 (UB) is partnering with state businesses and government to provide new initiatives in information cybersecurity and helping Connecticut reach its economic potential.
On August 29, 2022, Governor Ned Lamont, Martin Guay of , and other corporate leaders and strategic partners from across the state joined together in Stamford to announce Tech Talent Accelerator, one million dollars鈥� worth of grants to seven public and private institutions, including UB. Sponsored by the and , in partnership with the Connecticut and the Connecticut , these grants will help companies build tech talent in high-skill jobs, as well as create new routes from community colleges into industry-aligned B.A. programs like the ones at UB.
鈥淭he Tech Talent Accelerator is opening up the minds of business to better understand that our colleges and universities are more than just partners for recruiting entry-level talent. We support systems for lifelong learning,鈥� said UB president Danielle Wilken at the Stamford event. 鈥淭hrough this partnership, we鈥檙e helping businesses activate new ways to partner with higher education and create experiences for their employees to retain their talent in a rapidly changing economy.鈥�
The money will help UB launch a new 12-week course in cybersecurity and information security designed specifically for businesses in Southwest Connecticut鈥檚 finance and tech sectors. Offered through the School of Engineering, the class will teach students to analyze security models, perform risk assessments, secure systems development, manage crises, and comply with legal and regulatory requirements. The end goal is an interdisciplinary cybersecurity certificate that will align with technology-enabled jobs in the cybersecurity field and allow students to be workforce ready.
Dr. Khaled Elleithy, Dean of the College of Engineering, Business, and Education (EBE) will be responsible for overseeing the course development and implementation of the program at UB. Dr. Elleithy will be supported by faculty and staff/graduate students to teach the curricula and manage the logistical aspects of providing the courses.
鈥淕raduates of this program will be workforce ready as IT cybersecurity professionals,鈥� says Dr. Elleithy. 鈥淭hey may also pursue work as security researchers, forensic analysts, or security architects or continue their graduate studies. Students of the program will have access to a number of resources including UB鈥檚 Center for Career Development, a comprehensive career counseling and resource center that connects students to career opportunities and strategic employer partners.鈥�
Many trade associations predict that the field will be one of the fastest growing in the next decade. indicated that in Connecticut there are only enough cybersecurity workers to fill 71% of the cybersecurity jobs that employers demand. data showed that in Connecticut鈥檚 New Haven and Fairfield counties, there were 1,435 job postings for information security analysts.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got to have the best-trained and most-productive workforce in the world 鈥� that鈥檚 Connecticut鈥檚 calling card,鈥� Governor Lamont commented at the event. 鈥淚n the 21st century, if you don鈥檛 have the digital skills, you鈥檙e not keeping up. That鈥檚 what this program is all about.鈥�
UB students are now poised to be part of that workforce, earning themselves high-quality careers and advancing the nation鈥檚 cybersecurity in the process. 鈥淸UB] has been training students to be leaders in the STEM fields for close to 100 years,鈥� President Wilken announced. 鈥淭oday, the world is growing more connected and automated and therefore more vulnerable 鈥� leading industry and government to emphasize the importance of safe data and information. We are very pleased to offer this important training to the citizens of Connecticut.鈥�
For more information, please contact Dr. Khaled Elleithy at elleithy@bridgeport.edu.
Eric D.聽Lehman聽is the director of publications and associate professor of English at 越南直播. He is the author or editor of 22 books, including “New England Nature, A History of Connecticut Food,” and “Bridgeport: Tales from the Park City.” His聽biography of Charles Stratton, “Becoming Tom Thumb,” won the Henry Russell Hitchcock Award from the Victorian Society of America and was chosen as one of the American Library Association’s outstanding university press books of the year. His novella “Shadows of Paris” and novel “9 Lupine Road” were finalists for the Connecticut Book Award. He has been consulted on diverse subjects and quoted by The Atlantic Monthly, USA Today, the BBC, the History Channel, Deutsche Presse-Agentur, and The Wall Street Journal.