SHRM aims to provide free training to HR professionals to help advance the goal of recruiting, developing and retaining critical cyber talent in the United States.
It is expected that at least 15,000 HR professionals will take advantage of the toolkit and contribute to the hiring of up to 75,000 cyber professionals by the end of fiscal year 2024.
Developed in conjunction with the SANS Institute, which specializes in information security and cybersecurity training, the SHRM toolkit will show HR practitioners how to assess and recruit skilled applicants for cyber workforce jobs as well as develop career paths and retain these vital workers.
The effort is one component of the White House National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy focused on addressing the country’s cyber workforce needs. “Filling the hundreds of thousands of cyber job vacancies across our nation is a national security imperative, and the administration is making generational investments to prepare our country to lead in the digital economy,” the White House said.
“Improving national cybersecurity demands a bigger, better cyber workforce, and we want to make sure human resource professionals are well equipped to contribute to this urgent national priority,” said Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, president and chief executive officer of SHRM. “We are proud to make this employment resource available as part of HR’s ongoing commitment to developing top cyber talent.”
The toolkit arrives at an important juncture to help fill key gaps in the cybersecurity workforce. According to SHRM research, only 59 percent of HR executives feel they are “well/somewhat prepared” to deal with cybersecurity risks.
The Biden administration has announced that it intends to make foundational cyber skills learning opportunities available to all; promote cyber careers; improve cyber education; expand a skills-based approach to recruitment and development; improve career pathways in the federal cyber workforce; and invest in human resource capabilities for this sector.