{"id":198555,"date":"2026-03-23T17:37:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T21:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/23\/maryland-workforce-agency-expands-cyber-training-for-job-seekers\/"},"modified":"2026-03-23T17:45:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T21:45:12","slug":"maryland-workforce-agency-expands-cyber-training-for-job-seekers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/23\/maryland-workforce-agency-expands-cyber-training-for-job-seekers\/","title":{"rendered":"Maryland Workforce Agency Expands Cyber Training for Job Seekers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Maryland Workforce Agency Expands Cyber Training for Job Seekers<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.govtech.com\/security\/maryland-workforce-agency-expands-cyber-training-for-job-seekers<\/a><\/p>\n

Publish Date: 2026-03-23 17:37:00<\/a><\/p>\n

Source Domain: www.govtech.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Author: <\/a><\/p>\n

Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points. <\/p>\n

Maryland is rolling out apprenticeships in cybersecurity along with a new system that makes it easier for employers to take part.The Maryland Workforce Association (MWA) is anchoring a new registered cybersecurity apprenticeship that builds on the state\u2019s partnership with BCR Cyber, a workforce development company. BCR Cyber is providing 171 hours of instruction for the state\u2019s Cybersecurity Support Technician Registered Apprenticeship Program, which also incorporates BCR\u2019s community college-based cyber ranges and more than 40 business partners.The program combines self-paced virtual coursework and hands-on cybersecurity training with paid on-the-job training, which is a structure required under apprenticeship standards, according to a news release. Participants work while completing the program, earning industry-recognized credentials that ideally lead to full-time employment where they train.Brandon Butler is the MWA\u2019s executive director, and he said that the \u201csecret sauce\u201d in the programming is that the agency is tapped into the state\u2019s workforce development network. There are 13 workforce regions, each with its own director. As an example of state workforce efforts, the EARN Maryland program reported that it has helped employ or upskill more than 26,000 workers between 2014 and 2024.\u201cWe\u2019re the ones who are talking to employers, we\u2019re the ones with job seekers coming through the doors,\u201d Butler said. \u201cSo, this is a natural fit for us, and we\u2019re really putting the local workforce system forward in making sure we\u2019re meeting the needs of both the businesses and the job seekers.\u201dFor context, there are more than 27,000 cybersecurity-related positions available in Maryland, according to cyberseek.org. Many of those roles require firsthand experience and certifications, creating a gap between available workers and employer expectations, but MWA can facilitate business needs and employee training.Registered apprenticeships are designed to address a common challenge in workforce development: the \u201ctrain-and-pray\u201d model, in which participants complete training without a clear path to employment. For cybersecurity roles like security operations center analysts, which require direct experience, apprenticeships embed learning within the job. Calling apprenticeships a \u201cgold standard, time-honored tradition,\u201d Butler said that MWA and BCR Cyber have worked together to create a program that meets the standards of apprenticeships.BCR Cyber provides cybersecurity training and job placement services, with more than 83 percent of participants placed into employment, according to the company. Its cyber range technology, deployed across Maryland\u2019s community colleges with state and federal support, simulates real-world threats and supports hands-on training.\u201cWe worked very closely with almost every major cybersecurity company in the state,\u201d said Bruce Spector, BCR Cyber\u2019s company chairman. \u201cOur strategic industrial partnerships include Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Motorola. We actually [partner with] the Department of Information Technology in Maryland. \u2026 We have almost everyone that does IT work and cyber work giving us information about what our training should be, to make sure our related technical instruction is as relevant as possible.\u201dAs the sponsor, MWA manages requirements set by the state Department of Labor, including documentation, progress tracking and wage progression. That structure reduces the administrative load on employers and is intended to make participation easier. Program leaders also distinguish apprenticeships from internships. Apprentices are trained as long-term employees, not short-term learners, with the expectation they will remain in the workforce after completing the program.\u201cYou know, there\u2019s an old workforce development adage about train and pray: You know, train somebody and pray that they get a job at the end of it,\u201d Butler said. \u201cThat\u2019s the opposite of the apprenticeship model because we put the employer in the middle of all the training \u2026 all the related technical instruction. That\u2019s why we have talked about doing something like this and working again with BCR Cyber. We know that we could truly make a dent in Maryland\u2019s cyber workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rae D. DeShong is a Texas-based staff writer for Government Technology and a former staff writer for Industry Insider \u2014 Texas. She has worked at The Dallas Morning News and as a community college administrator.<\/p>\n

See More Stories by Rae D. DeShong<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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