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Grant to Fund IT Training for Virginia Higher Ed

A $243,000 grant would be administered by the University of Mary Washington and cover the cost for up to 40 students to earn credentials as certified information systems security professionals.

(TNS) — Two area localities are partnering with the University of Mary Washington and Rappahannock Community College to offer training in cybersecurity.

The Fredericksburg Economic Development Authority and King George County each have agreed to commit $7,500 in cash and $3,000 worth of marketing assistance to secure a grant from Go Virginia. That’s a business initiative that looks to create jobs by fostering regional collaborations in business, education and government.

The $243,000 grant would be administered by UMW and cover all costs for 30 to 40 students to earn credentials as a certified information systems security professional, or CISSP. The grant would cover the study course at RCC, the two-year program at the Dahlgren campus of UWM and the $700 exam, said Kimberly Young, executive director of continuing and professional studies at UMW.

Ruby Brabo, chairwoman of King George County’s Board of Supervisors, was excited that the program would make it easier for residents to seek high-paying jobs at the Naval Support Facility Dahlgren or with other industries. She said the Navy base recruits people from as far away as Oklahoma and Puerto Rico because there aren’t enough qualified candidates in the region.

“I think this is definitely a win for us,” she said.

Brabo said some informational technology positions at the base, which pay more than $60,000 a year, require the certification. The nearest official training for CISSP is in Vienna, although Germanna Community College offers a course that helps prepare students for the CISSP exam.

The support by King George and Fredericksburg would guarantee the localities a minimum of 10 participants in the class, Young said.

According to technology websites, the CISSP designation is a globally recognized standard of achievement and sought by IT professionals in fields such as security auditor, security systems engineer, security architect and chief information security officer.

More than 93,391 people worldwide have attained the CISSP credential since May 2014. The program gives participants the skills to “design, engineer, implement and manage their overall information security program to protect organizations from growing sophisticated attacks,” according to the website simplilearn.

It’s not clear when the certification program would be offered at the Dahlgren campus of UMW. For more information, contact Young at 540/286-8076.

©2017 The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, Va.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.