The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded a four-year TAACCCT (Technical Training) Grant to a consortium of Maryland community colleges, including Howard Community College (HCC), that are participating in the Cyber Technologies Pathbizways Across Maryland (CPAM) Consortium.

In a collaborative environment, the CPAM Consortium is tasked with increasing each college’s capacity to educate and prepare students to fill the many current and projected job openings in our region related to cybersecurity.

The grant provides for coaches that meet with students and provide individualized attention as they progress along the pathway through career exploration, academic achievements, certifications, internships, work experiences, mentorships, résumé preparation, LinkedIn page creation, interview preparation and evaluation of the skills needed to be successful in the workplace.

Employers can partner with HCC in order to increase the college’s capacity and to properly prepare students to enter a field that is evolving quickly in the following ways:

  • Partnering
  • Advising. Serving as a guide to HCC faculty and staff in keeping the curriculum current, discussing industry trends and advising on the proper tools and equipment for classrooms
  • Exploring opportunities to provide meaningful work experiences for the students, who will benefit from participation in one or more work experiences in a work setting.
  • Evaluate students completing certifications and degrees for employment by:
    • “Shadowing” with an employee from your organization on a short- or long-term assignment
    • Being part of a work team for short-term projects to allow the students to practice their skills
    • Interning (short- or long-term/paid or unpaid) to apply their classroom knowledge in a work setting