cyber workforce apprenticeship pilots

Summary#

This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to run two short-term programs to grow the federal cybersecurity workforce: (1) an apprenticeship pilot that places people in DHS cyber jobs, and (2) a training pilot that gives free cybersecurity training to veterans, service members about to leave the military, and some military spouses. It also extends a required federal cybersecurity workforce assessment to 2028. The stated goal is to expand the pipeline of qualified cybersecurity workers for the federal government and to coordinate with other agencies and training providers.

Key changes:

• Creates a DHS apprenticeship pilot that hires up to 25 new participants per year and is meant to lead to federal cyber jobs. The apprenticeships must be registered with the Department of Labor and align with the NIST/NICE cybersecurity workforce framework.
• Requires apprenticeship participants to sign a service agreement to accept federal cyber employment after completion or repay training costs (with limited waivers). Apprentices may be hired into the excepted service.
• Allows DHS to award contracts, cooperative agreements, or grants to outside partners (community colleges, workforce boards, employers, nonprofits, tribes, etc.) to run apprenticeship-related activities, with selection priorities for existing programs and groups that recruit underrepresented people and veterans.
• Sets up a separate DHS pilot to provide free cybersecurity training to eligible veterans, qualifying service members, and some military spouses, using virtual and hands-on training, credentials, and federal work-based learning opportunities.
• Requires reports from DHS (annual after start) and a Comptroller General (GAO) review four years after each pilot begins. Both pilots end if not continued five years after they start.
• Extends the next federal cybersecurity workforce assessment date from 2022 to 2028.

What it means for you#

• DHS and federal hiring managers

  • DHS must create and run an apprenticeship program focused on cyber roles and can hire apprentices into excepted service positions.
  • DHS can partner with outside education and workforce organizations to recruit and train apprentices.

• Job-seekers and students

  • People eligible for the apprenticeship may get on-the-job training, classroom instruction aligned to NIST/NICE, and a pathway to a federal cyber job if they complete the program and accept an offer.
  • Participants must agree to accept federal cyber employment after finishing or repay training costs (repayment reduced pro rata for service completed). Waivers are allowed for hardship or impossibility.
  • Veterans, qualifying service members, and some military spouses can access a separate free cybersecurity training pilot that may offer credit-bearing coursework, virtual and hands-on learning, and recognized credentials.

• Veterans and transitioning service members

  • The veterans’ pilot is designed to be free to eligible individuals and coordinate with VA benefits so participants can use GI Bill or other assistance where possible.
  • The program aims to provide federal work-based learning and connections to federal job opportunities.

• Education and training providers

  • Community colleges, minority-serving institutions, Job Corps centers, Tribe-run colleges, workforce boards, industry groups, and other eligible entities can apply to run training or be partners under both pilots.
  • Priority may be given to entities that already run registered apprenticeship programs or that increase representation of women and underrepresented minorities.

• Employers and industry

  • Industry groups and employers can participate as sponsors, partners, or qualified intermediaries to help design and deliver apprenticeships and to hire graduates.
  • The pilots encourage coordination with existing apprenticeship systems and workforce boards.

• General public

  • These are time-limited pilots (authority ends five years after each pilot starts). Congress will receive annual DHS reports and a GAO report after four years to assess whether to continue or expand the programs.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

• The bill allows DHS to enter contracts, cooperative agreements, or grants and to expand or procure training platforms. This could mean additional DHS spending for staff, grants, contracts, training development, and program administration, but the bill does not specify appropriation amounts or funding sources.
• The veterans’ pilot lists actions such as providing additional funding, staff, and dedicated term positions for work-based learning; again, the bill does not attach dollar figures or say where money will come from.
• There may be administrative costs for managing service agreements, repayment enforcement, interagency coordination, and the required reporting and GAO evaluation.

Proponents' View#

• The bill appears intended to expand the federal cybersecurity workforce pipeline by creating hands-on, training-linked pathways into federal cyber jobs.
• A possible argument for the apprenticeship pilot is that registered apprenticeships, aligned with the NIST/NICE framework, provide industry-recognized training and a direct route to employment in DHS and other agencies.
• The veterans’ training pilot could help veterans and transitioning service members use their education benefits and take advantage of free, credentialed training geared toward federal cyber roles.
• Coordinating with other agencies and leveraging existing training platforms could reduce duplication and make use of established standards and resources.
• Reporting and a GAO review are included to measure results and inform whether the programs should continue.

Opponents' View#

• One concern is scale: the apprenticeship pilot limits DHS to hiring no more than 25 new participants per year, which is small relative to stated workforce shortages and may have limited impact on overall federal cybersecurity staffing.
• The bill does not specify funding levels. It is unclear how much new money (if any) will be provided, which agencies must reallocate funds, or whether programs depend on future appropriations.
• Service agreements that require repayment if a participant declines federal employment could discourage applicants or create financial hardship; the bill allows waivers but leaves waiver standards to DHS discretion.
• Both pilots are limited to five-year authorities unless extended by Congress; this temporary status could complicate long-term workforce planning.
• The path from apprenticeship to permanent federal employment is through the excepted service and a trial period; the bill does not fully explain how participants would transition to competitive service positions or long-term careers across the federal government.
• Coordinating training, credentials, and work-based learning across multiple federal agencies and many external partners could be administratively complex and slow to implement.