A new cybersecurity apprenticeship program is about to begin in the St. Louis region.
The Midwest Cyber Center is partnering with the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment, known as SLATE, to launch the 18-month apprenticeship.
The Cybersecurity Analyst Registered Apprenticeship is aimed at those who are at least 18, with a high school diploma or G.E.D. Midwest Cyber Center Executive Director Tony Bryan said they wanted to attract those with little experience into the field.
“We’re really trying to find a much broader perspective of how do we get folks that are entry-level with very little experience in this space a pathway into it,” Bryan said.
The Midwest Cyber Center was founded in 2015 to address a shortage of cybersecurity professionals. Bryan said there are more than 200,000 such jobs will go unfilled in the U.S. this year.
The program will pair apprentices with businesses for 32 hours a week at $15 per hour and up to $24 an hour by the end of their time. SLATE has grants available that could offset the costs for businesses.
SLATE Executive Director Michael Holmes says it’s great for the apprentices because they’ll get on-the-job experience, as well as certification. But he said employers will also benefit.
“It gives them the opportunity to look before they hire,” he said.
SLATE will begin taking applications May 1st.
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