Cybersecurity Workforce Development

The UWF Center for Cybersecurity is a national leader in cybersecurity workforce development, and offers several programs and scholarships for training, upskilling and reskilling.

U.S. service member in uniform looking at laptop while sitting at a table in a cafe.

National Cybersecurity Workforce Development Program

The University of West Florida Center for Cybersecurity received grants from the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) Program ($2.5 million) at the National Security Agency and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) ($1.5 million) to expand the National Cybersecurity Workforce Development Program, CyberSkills2Work^TM. UWF and the NCAE-C Coalition will expand the program to prepare more than 1,800 newly credentialed cybersecurity professionals over two years.

The CyberSkills2Work^TM program focuses on recruiting, preparing, and placing transitioning military, first responders, veterans, military spouses, women, underrepresented employees, and government employees into cybersecurity work roles in our nation’s Critical Infrastructure Sectors, including defense industrial base, energy, and financial services.

The program prepares participants for 14 entry-level through advanced cybersecurity work roles that align with the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework. The program offers flexible training pathways, offered online, in-person or hybrid, by a coalition of 10 CAE-C designated institutions. Each pathway provides training courses, industry certifications, and digital credentials.

For additional information visit the National Cybersecurity Workforce Development Program page or contact Francine Coller, Program Coordinator, Center for Cybersecurity, at fcoller@uwf.edu.

This program is part of the National Cybersecurity Workforce Development Program, CyberSkills2Work^TM, and funded by the National Security Agency National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) Program and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

Instructor and student standing in front of a wall monitor displaying a world map of cybersecurity information.

UWF CyberSkills2Work^TM Program

The UWF CyberSkills2Work^TM Program, offered by the University of West Florida’s Center for Cybersecurity, is an intensive cybersecurity training program designed to grow and diversify the cybersecurity workforce. The program provides FREE cybersecurity training and career development for eligible transitioning military, transitioning first responders, and veterans to prepare and transition them into rewarding cybersecurity jobs in our nation’s Critical Infrastructure Sectors, including financial services, defense industrial base, and energy sectors.

For additional information visit the UWF CyberSkills2Work^TM Program page or contact Francine Coller, Program Coordinator, Center for Cybersecurity, at fcoller@uwf.edu.

UWF Cyber Skills Exercises

The University of West Florida Center for Cybersecurity received a $1.5 million contract from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, known as CISA, to expand the CyberSkills2Work^TM program, an intensive cybersecurity training program designed to help individuals launch or advance cybersecurity careers. The training will focus on critical infrastructure security and industrial control systems security. UWF Cyber Skills Exercises provide essential cybersecurity knowledge and hands-on skills utilizing the Florida Cyber Range. These 1-day synchronous online sessions are FREE for eligible transitioning military members, first responders, veterans, military spouses, women, underrepresented minorities, and government employees. To learn more, visit the UWF Cyber Skills Exercises page.

These exercises are part of the National Cybersecurity Workforce Development Program, CyberSkills2Work^TM, and funded by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

UWF Florida Cybersecurity Training Program

The UWF Florida Cybersecurity Training Program, offered by the University of West Florida (UWF) Center for Cybersecurity, provides FREE upskilling and reskilling cybersecurity training for eligible Florida state and local government personnel.

For additional information visit the UWF Florida Cybersecurity Training Program page or contact Pam Davis, Program Coordinator, Center for Cybersecurity, at pdavis2@uwf.edu.

This program is funded by the Florida Legislature via the Cyber Florida: FirstLine initiative.

Cybersecurity Education in Critical Infrastructure Protection (CECIP) Project

Application Deadline: September 6, 2024

Cybersecurity Education in Critical Infrastructure Protection (CECIP) Project is a workforce development and training collaboration with the University of Memphis. The focus of the project is to design and develop training courses related to the protection of our critical infrastructures and offer a certificate-based workforce development program for the specific cybersecurity work roles in critical infrastructures.

Objectives for the project are:

To design and develop four training courses related to the protection of our critical infrastructures. These courses are
- Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Compliance (September 23-October 4, 2024),
- Industrial Control Systems and Renewable Energy (ICS-RE) Security (October 14-25, 2024),
- ICS-RE Threat Intelligence (October 28-November 8, 2024 ), and
- Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Penetration Testing and Incident Response (November 11-22, 2024)
To design and develop laboratory hands-on activities to support the four training courses
To offer a certificate-based workforce development program consisting of the above four courses with verifiable digital credentials for the specific cybersecurity work roles in critical infrastructures with emphasis on veterans, transitioning military personnel, first responders and other qualified adult learners
To evaluate the effectiveness of the four courses
To design and implement a two-day Faculty Development Workshop on ICS Security and Regulatory Compliance.
To disseminate the training course materials for widespread adoption through publications and integration in existing academic courses.

For more information, visit the Cybersecurity Education in Critical Infrastructure Project page.

Funded by a sub-award from the CECIP program at the University of Memphis through a NCAE-C Program award (Award # H98230-21-1-0319; Subaward # A22-0041-S001-A01.

These recently offered programs below are not active at this time.

Cybersecurity professional typing on a keyboard while working in a data center.

UWF CyberSuccess Program sponsored by Regions Foundation

This program is currently not active.

The UWF CyberSuccess sponsored by Regions Foundation is an intensive cybersecurity training program designed to grow and diversify the cybersecurity workforce. Funded by the Regions Foundation and offered by the University of West Florida’s Center for Cybersecurity, the program provides FREE cybersecurity training and career development for eligible transitioning military and veterans to prepare and transition them into rewarding cybersecurity jobs along the Cyber Coast.

For additional information visit the UWF CyberSuccess Program page or contact Francine Wetzel, Program Coordinator, Center for Cybersecurity, at fwetzel@uwf.edu.

This program is funded by a grant from the Regions Foundation.

CyberSkills2Work Florida Program

The CyberSkills2Work Florida, offered by the University of West Florida’s Center for Cybersecurity, is an intensive cybersecurity training program designed to help individuals launch or advance cybersecurity careers. The program provides FREE cybersecurity training and career development for eligible Florida residents to prepare and transition them to rewarding cybersecurity jobs.

For additional information visit the CyberSkills2Work Florida Program page or contact us at cybersecurity@uwf.edu.

This program is funded by the Department of Education via the Florida Center for Cybersecurity Expanding Cybersecurity and Information Technology Pathways.

ONR - UWF Cyber and Electronic Warfare Workforce Development Program

This program is currently not active.

The innovative project, which is funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) under Award No. N00014-21-1-2025 with funds amounting to $249,642, is projected to nurture a capable and trained workforce with the skills to defend and protect our critical infrastructures primarily those in the industrial and defense sectors with the following objectives:

to actively involve five interns (ROTC cadets and other military-connected students), one in each of the following cutting-edge and innovative research areas: optimization techniques of threat model analysis, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or drone’s Radio Frequency (RF) signal security, applied machine learning on malware analysis, threat intelligence and threat hunting on ICS, and autonomous ground vehicle security;
to upskill 34 participants with cyber and electronic warfare competencies through three subsidized short courses and scenario-based exercises for hands-on learning;
to develop and implement a cybersecurity scenario-based training system for professional and curriculum development; and
to develop a robust strategy for sustainability and self-sufficiency through a periodically enhanced curriculum on ICS security and a proactive approach to ICS security product development.

The courses for upskilling participants in cyber and electronic warfare include CompTIA Security+, Threat Intelligence, and Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Security. The courses will be offered free of charge to selected participants in Summer 2021. For additional information visit the ONR - UWF Cyber and Electronic Warfare Workforce Development Program page or contact Dr. Guillermo Francia, III, Principal Investigator, at gfranciaiii@uwf.edu.

NCAE-C Cybersecurity Faculty Development Program

This program is currently not active.

The NCAE-C Cybersecurity Faculty Development Program project is a coalition among seven institutions, led by Dakota State University. At the University of West Florida, our project will take a two-pronged approach to address the critical shortage of qualified faculty in cybersecurity and related disciplines with the following goals:

Goal 1: Offer workshops to existing university and college faculty to prepare them for scenario-based teaching and integrating scenarios into curricula

One 3-day workshops in December 2021, three in summer 2022
Total 80 participants targeted over two years
Equip participants with knowledge, skills, and competencies to create scenario-based teaching environments in their respective classrooms

Goal 2: Establish a recruitment program to identify veterans with appropriate experience and expertise to provide them with relevant pedagogical/technical knowledge and skills to teach in designated and candidate CAE-C institutions

Establish a pilot recruitment program to recruit ten veterans (five per year)
Create pathways for selected veterans, provide them with required knowledge, skills, and competencies, and bring them in an adjunct pool to teach lower-level courses in 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities

For additional information or questions, please contact Dr. Tirthankar Ghosh, Professor and Associate Director, Center for Cybersecurity, at tghosh@uwf.edu.

This program is funded by National Security Agency Grant Number H98230-20-1-0414 (Sub-Award Number 266-840269).

Cybersecurity Workforce Development