Cy Says Blog & Podcast

For our first podcast we are joined by Rick Tracy, CSO of Telos Corporation. Rick recently published an article in Forbes about creative ways companies can be intentional and close their talent shortage. We talk apprenticeship, internship, diversity, and youth engagement.

Three years ago, CyberUp launched our PowerUp Cyber Games program in partnership with our friends at Cyber Skyline. We get asked a lot about why we started the program....

Hands down, the number one question we are asked is, “what is the difference between an internship and an apprenticeship?”

Both internships and apprenticeships both have their place in recruiting and growing your team. And, there is incredible value in having both programs running concurrently to maximize entry-level talent development.

For starters, internships are a proven way to bring some of the brightest minds into your company while providing an invaluable experience for the students. The typically short-term engagements also allow companies to get to know the potential future hires and, something often overlooked, are an opportunity for your team to gain management experience.

However, there are also drawbacks to internships. Let’s discuss.

• Not here for a long time but to have a good time – A typical internship is around three months. Let’s be honest, for the first 30 days, a student is learning the lay of the land. If this is their first time in a work environment they are simply learning how to work. What does it mean to come to work every day and contribute? By the second month, they probably have a project in place they have started and are being a productive-ish member of the team. As they speed into the third month, priorities shift. They prepare to brief on their project and hand it over to someone who will be there full-time. Rinse and repeat summer after summer.
VS. A long-term staffing solution – Apprenticeships are 12 months long with the intention of the apprentice joining your team for the foreseeable future, i.e. retention! 95% of CyberUp apprentices retain employment after completing their apprenticeship. Plus, apprentices can be added throughout the year to meet your staffing needs.

• What do I want to be when I grow up? – How many of us truly knew what we wanted to do when we were in college? Many have a general understanding of Corporate America but likely aren’t aware of all of the opportunities that are available. Students leverage internships as a way to discover jobs and companies. It’s a time for discovery. They’re trying roles out as much as companies are trying them out, if not more.
VS. I know what I want – Seasoned workers have made a very conscious decision to pursue a specific career. Not a job, a career. Career transitioners know what they’re looking for in their next role and bring a wealth of knowledge from previous professional and life experiences. Apprenticeships quickly and easily connect companies with these tenacious job seekers. And companies that give career transitioners the opportunity to prove themselves and grow within their target industry are likely to stay at the organization for several years. Again, retention.

• How does this thing work? – Creating a structured environment is essential to the success of the program but not every company has the time, money, and resources to properly build an internship program out. And the goal is to foster collaboration, innovation, and teamwork, but it’s also really hard to commit time and resources to an already stretched-thin staff. And, who takes the lead in planning, recruiting, and executing? To do it right, it’s going to take a team of people and a lot of manhours.
VS. Structure with flexibility – Every job seeker and every employer can benefit from the structure of a registered apprenticeship. Apprentices benefit from on-the-job training, mentorship, and continued learning (related training instruction). Companies can either build their own apprenticeship or partner with an intermediary, like CyberUp, to deliver the three aspects of the program. Working with an intermediary allows the employer to focus on the OJT and the person holistically, without distractions. Also, each of the three aspects of an apprenticeship can be customized to meet the needs of the employer and the skill level of their apprentice.

• Limited reach – Many companies recruit from the same colleges and universities year after year, which can lead to a workforce with uniform experiences, education, and thinking. Sameness is not something an ever-evolving industry like cybersecurity needs.
VS. A talent pool that’s a reflection of the world we live in – CyberUp surpasses all diversity goals in our recruitment process while also considering more than race, gender, or sexual orientation. Diversity is also about how someone was raised. Studies show increased productivity, cultural awareness, positive reputation, and much more. We have seen time and time again (even with our own team) that it takes different perspectives and approaches to be successful. Why not build a program that promotes and enables that?

Both internships and apprenticeships can play an important part in how you grow your workforce. Instead of an either/or approach, consider how both programs can help solve your staffing needs. Employers should consider their annual hiring strategy, looking at when the best times will be to onboard throughout the year.

Why should you jump into apprenticeship now?

We have all seen the numbers – 700,000+ open roles with anticipated growth in the millions over the next several years. What is the saying? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. Has your organization continued to rely on traditional hiring methods? Are you exploring apprenticeship? If not, why?

Apprenticeship has been around for centuries. Generally associated with the trades with the core concept remaining the same, earn while you learn, but now evolving into various new sectors. Technology career and apprenticeship opportunities will continue to grow as companies embrace less degree-dependency and more skill-based hiring practices.

This past week a major announcement was pushed down from the White House, Department of Labor, Department of Commerce and supported by our friends at the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) about a cybersecurity apprenticeship sprint. They hope to inspire individuals, companies, and programs like ours to rally together and have an impact on the aforementioned open roles. CyberUp is honored to be a participant in the sprint, bringing our expertise and sharing our success stories with others on the importance of apprenticeship.

That being said, if you have been on the sidelines or fence about how apprenticeship could work for you, jump on this opportunity NOW.

Don’t know where to start? The CyberUp Apprenticeship Team can help you build an apprenticeship model that works for you. Contact us today or simply fill out this form and we will reach out for a quick 30-minute apprenticeship consult. Onward and upward!

Our last several blogs have been super specific to topics that have been relevant to things happening right now. Never a bad thing but sometimes it is good to stick to the basics. CyberUp has tons of folks who reach out to us with this very question, "How do I get into cybersecurity?" Although there isn't a simple answer to the question we thought it would be worthwhile to lay out the questions we are asked during the conversation and the advice we give.  

Each conversation generally starts with three simple questions:

1. What is your timeline/need to break into cybersecurity?
2. What is your budget to get the training/skills you will need?
3. What type of training do you think you will need?

Let's explain why these questions are important. 

What is your timeline? 

Given the recent global pandemic and even before, we had a lot of people reach out to us out of necessity. They found themselves out of work and exploring ways that they can support a family. The cybersecurity industry has done a fantastic job of marketing the demand for talent and the possibilities of earning a good income. All facts but it isn't as easy as it is made out to be. It is going to take some amount of time to go through a training or education program. Depending on the person's situation there are options. The longest option is a traditional college education. Both 4-year and community colleges provide good curricula but can take a bit longer for someone looking to transition quickly. The quickest option available is a pay-to-play bootcamp or stacking some certifications. There are several options out there like our partners at Fullstack Academy  and they provide proven and short-term training options. Not as quick or long as the previous two options are programs like ours that provide pre-apprenticeship training. All three skill paths provide you with a foundational set of knowledge that should provide you with a baseline of skills necessary to obtain that first role.

What is your budget?

Let us start out by saying, CyberUp is committed to providing access to free and high-quality cybersecurity training so this isn't an endorsement to pay us for what we do, but a way to highlight that we are not the only option available. All three listed above are viable options and each have unique advantages over the other. There are efforts all across the country by companies who are reimagining how they are hiring and reducing the need for college degrees but let's be honest....we aren't fully there yet. A college degree still remains critical to someone's long-term success and upward mobility. If there isn't a time crunch and a person has availability to resources needed to pay for school, choosing one of the incredible cybersecurity programs created is always a solid option for someone. A bootcamp is going to require a larger upfront cost but the pace, curriculum, and time to the end goal, employment, can be much faster. Many of them are full-time programs that can end in just a few months. If the resources are there and the time-to-goal is important the cost may be worth it for an individual. Lastly, programs like ours also provide training and credentials required to obtain a job. However, we simply are not as fast as a bootcamp and we do not provide a degree. What we do provide is a part-time option suitable for folks that have full-time jobs and flexibility to learn at your own pace. There isn't a cost associated with the program but there is a rigor to the curriculum and demand that can be difficult if things are not prioritized right.

What type of training do you need?

This may be a strange question for most but we all learn in different ways and have different needs when it comes to education. If you are a person who needs due dates, homework, and accountability college or a bootcamp may be the best fit. Let's be clear, we require our candidates to put in the work and set high standards for someone to complete the program. We ask each person to commit to the program and put their best effort into completing their training. We have seen firsthand when someone makes an investment into themselves they bring a different attitude to the program. We have all heard the saying, "you get what you pay for," and this applies to programs like ours. 

Ultimately, there isn't a "one-size fits all" option for any of this. That is why we start with these three simple questions. If you find yourself exploring a career in cybersecurity and not sure where to start...we recommend taking a few moments to think through these questions and make the right choice for you. Also, we are always happy to help advise so don't hesitate to reach out!