The Workforce Intelligence Network for Southeast Michigan (WIN) today released a report detailing the findings of a cybersecurity skills gap analysis, identifying almost 350,000 cybersecurity-related job postings nationally from July 2015 to June 2016.
The report mainly focused on the discrepancy between the number of cybersecurity job postings and the number of workers available to fill them. As a backdrop, employer demand for cybersecurity workers increased 169 percent from 2010 to 2016.
The top-15 employers with the greatest demand for cybersecurity workers include multiple defense, software, and IT consulting firms, but also includes financial, communications, and health insurance firms.
The study, which was conducted to understand future workplace demands in cybersecurity, concentrated on four categories of occupations in the profession: frontline cybersecurity workers, cyber-sensitive service workers, physical security and access workers, and indirect cyber-related workers.
“It is essential that we understand employer demand in cybersecurity and identify standards for the occupations that are part of this industry,” says Lisa Katz, executive director of WIN. “We want to ensure access to necessary educational and training resources, as well as the future vitality of the cybersecurity field, which is critical to virtually every industry, from automated vehicles to banking to health care.”
One issue from the study was the inconsistency of industry occupation standards. While most experts in the field believe that specialized two-year degrees or certifications are sufficient, four-year degrees are generally required for most positions; almost 90 percent of the 350,000 postings required a bachelor’s degree or higher.
The report notes that over 90 degree programs and 80 certification programs are available in the region from 39 institutions. Michigan currently has 13,520 cybersecurity workers, which ranks 35th in the nation.
The full report can be read here.
