U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) recently proposed a bipartisan bill that would create a $10 million pilot program within the U.S. Department of Education to award competitive grants to career and technical education (CTE) programs that integrate cybersecurity into their curricula.
“This legislation empowers the next generation of learners to have the most sophisticated and comprehensive education to better protect our essential systems and assets for years to come,” said Rep. Thompson, co-chair of the CTE Caucus.
The congressman on Oct. 31 cosponsored the Cybersecurity Skills Integration Act, H.R. 9259, with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI), also a co-chair of the CTE Caucus. If enacted, the bill also would require the Department of Education to coordinate with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Institute of Standards and Technology on awarding grants, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Thompson’s office.
“Our society is increasingly reliant on cyber technologies for our most critical infrastructure,” Rep. Thompson said. “As bad actors increase cyber-attacks, we must ensure we are protecting our most sensitive data.”
ACTE, the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States of America, and the National Technology Security Coalition endorsed the measure, which has been referred for consideration to the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee.
“Protecting our critical infrastructure from malicious hackers is a top national security priority, but we need a workforce equipped with the proper skills to do it,” said Rep. Langevin. “Now is the time to double down on our investments in CTE and cybersecurity education, so that we can develop the critical infrastructure workforce needed to meet the challenges of the 21st century.”