Task force opens cybersecurity job path for veterans
The push to fast-track veterans into the trucking industry as part of a White House plan announced in April to improve the post-COVID supply-chain logjam has proven so successful, Task Force Movement is adding another sector in need of skilled personnel: cybersecurity.
“Cybersecurity is critically important,” Task Force Movement Chairman Patrick Murphy told veterans and industry representatives gathered Wednesday for The American Legion’s National Higher Education & Credentialing Summit in Milwaukee during the organization’s 103rd National Convention. “Right now, in the federal government, we are 40,000 cyber-professionals short. That’s just in the federal government, not even the private sector … We have to get after it.”
Task Force Movement works to connect veterans and the military community with industry – specifically the trucking sector since April – to speed the process and “bridge the gap between policy and pavement” for transitioning military personnel and veterans. More than 500 veterans have been awarded free scholarships, and more than 130 employers participate in the program’s apprenticeship program.
“This is a public-private partnership,” said Murphy, an Army veteran and the first who served in Iraq to be elected to Congress. “When we launched this on the south lawn of the White House in April, we never thought we would have this much success in four months. It’s making a positive difference.”
The nation’s staff shortages in key industries like trucking and cybersecurity will take collaboration with veterans service organizations like The American Legion, industry leaders in specialized fields, credentialing agencies and government. And while the nation’s current trouble with filling positions and keeping products moving will require emphasis from many fronts, the military-affiliated community stands to be a catalyst, Murphy suggested. “Will it be solved by veterans fully? Absolutely not. But it will be led by veterans and military families.”
Now, for the trucking industry and cybersecurity alike, the Task Force Movement program has online guidance specifically indexed according to the following categories: Industry Partners, Government Agencies, Foundations, Veterans Service Organizations and Education Partners.
To learn more, visit www.taskforcemovement.org which has recently added a platform for cybersecurity.