MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Over 2,000 veterans will be hired by IBM for training initiative that will certify veterans in the use of IBM software widely used by law enforcement, cybersecurity, and national security agencies.
“They’re be hired into really fast growing and high tech careers at IBM and other companies,” said Diane Melley, IBM’s Vice President of Global Citizenship Initiatives. “IBM is sharing the talent of our technology people to help these veterans become certified in the fast growing of cybersecurity.”
Melley said that there is a need for more qualified cybersecurity professionals, so IMB is estimating that this gap of workers will continue to grow if more people aren’t trained on it soon. There will be 1.8 million available jobs for cybersecurity professionals by 2022.
“This builds on the fantastic skills that these veterans have cultivated while they were in the military so we want to take advantage of their unique talent and quick skills and equipment with them with this new cyber skill,” said Melley.
These programs are designed to build in-demand technology skills are needed to prepare veterans for “new collar” careers — skilled positions, such as data and cybersecurity analysts, positions that require specific skills but not a traditional bachelor’s degree.
“This is our second year of doing this type of veteran training on cybersecurity,” said Melley. “We will train 500 veterans across the U.S. We thought that the veterans in the Appalachian region, we wanted to make sure we gave them a significant opportunity.”
The Veterans Employment Initiative is part of IBM’s philanthropic Impact Grants that arm non-profits, government and education institutions with effective tools, skills, and expertise to strengthen their infrastructure, build leadership, and better serve their communities.