IBM prepares hundreds of veterans for growing career field
By: Bianca M. Strzalkowski
The demand for cybersecurity professionals will exceed that of all other occupations, with the field forecasted to grow 28 percent through 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Consumers watched as last year’s headlines were riddled with news of security breaches impacting small and large companies around the world. The surge of attacks signals an increasing sense of urgency for firms to hire experts that can assist in ramping up security applications and thwart hackers.
And, IBM is using expertise in that area to prepare transitioning veterans for the specialty through a partnership with Corporate America Supports You (CASY), known as the Veterans Employment Accelerator Program.
The company has certified over 500 veterans in the IBM® Data Intelligence and Cyber Security Training since it first launched the program in 2015. Diane Melley, Vice President of IBM’s Global Citizenship Initiatives, says these applicants have the core skills to make them a natural fit for the training.
“As part of our corporate responsibility, we look to help those
in need of job opportunities, including veterans who are vulnerable to under employment. We also know that fighting cyber-crime appeals to veterans who are looking to serve on the home front and to apply their skills to careers they find meaningful. Our program goals include tapping that enthusiasm and to deliver high-value skills in a condensed period of time, that helps these individuals realize the high potential they can have within industry and to give them assistance, connections and confidence with seeking those opportunities,” she said.