SERVICES | Arkansas Center for Data Sciences

The National Cybersecurity/IT
120-Day Sprint

ACDS, the Arkansas Office of Skills Development (OSD), Forge Institute, and the Arkansas Department of Education are proud to join other partners across the state and nation to shine the spotlight on the talent shortage among cybersecurity and other information technology/cyber positions.

The 120-Day Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Sprint is a national campaign led by the U.S. Department of Labor in partnership with the White House and the U.S. Department of Commerce, and other federal agencies to encourage employers, industry associations, labor unions, and training providers to explore Registered Apprenticeship as a recruitment, training, and retention strategy.

To encourage employers and career seekers to learn more throughout this campaign about the impact and need for IT talent and the full spectrum of available pathways, including Registered Apprenticeships, we've provided campaign goals and metrics, key events, resources, partner links, and more.

What is an Apprenticeship?

A registered apprenticeship is an employer-driven model that combines on-the-job learning with related classroom instruction that increases an apprentice’s skill level and wages.

Getting Started in IT

Whether you choose a 4-year or 2-year institution, a bootcamp, an internship, or an apprenticeship, there are many pathways into IT. Here are some valuable tips to help you get started.

IT Job Search Tips

Discover tips and resources that will help you in your IT job search. Resume helps, networking groups, training resources, and more will give you more of the tools you need.

Campaign Goals

1. Increase awareness of current successful cybersecurity-related Registered Apprenticeship programs, partnerships, and initiatives and how they’re helping industry educate and train a skilled cybersecurity workforce to reduce cybersecurity risk.

2. Advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) across cybersecurity occupations through Registered Apprenticeship, especially for historically underrepresented populations such as women and communities of color.

3. Educate the public on the efforts the Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship is taking to accelerate the process by helping employers to launch programs in as little as 48 hours by using existing industry vetted and DOL- approved standards.

4. Recruit employers to explore Registered Apprenticeship and partner with DOL and the Department of Commerce’s National Initiative for cybersecurity Education (NICE) to help meet critical Cybersecurity workforce needs of the Nation; and

5. Connect career seekers to cybersecurity apprenticeship opportunities.