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Press Release14 December 2021Siemens EnergyWashington, D.C.
Siemens Energy and National Academic and
Non-profit Partners Announce Industrial
Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Program
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed today between the seven founding
organizations strengthens the education-to-workforce pipeline between industry, academic, and
non-profit organizations to prepare the next generation of cyber defenders need to protect the
digitally connected energy systems and critical infrastructure assets from the increasing threat of
cyber threats. The four-year program will enable apprentices to apply their technical industrial
cybersecurity education with moderate computer skills, and gain the hands-on experience and
knowledge needed to fill existing cybersecurity vacancies that currently pay above $90,000 per
year. The apprenticeship program is expected to accept its first cohort in fall 2022.
“There is a serious shortage of cybersecurity talent in today’s marketplace across a number of
industries, and by working in partnership with likeminded organizations we can make inroads into
building a strong workforce for the years to come” said Rich Voorberg, president of Siemens Energy
North America. “Critical infrastructure in the U.S. has digitized rapidly, and we need to move quickly
to secure our future.”
The new consortium draws from organizations across the country and is designed to scale to meet
the growing need for highly skilled industrial cybersecurity professionals as digitally connected
infrastructure – such as energy assets, wastewater treatment facilities, and transportation systems -
increasingly serve as the foundation for the U.S. economy and well-paying jobs. Capitol Technology
University, based in Washington DC, and MISI Academy, based in Baltimore, will lead the
apprenticeship’s Eastern US region, while REDI and ISU will lead the Western US. Nationwide
partners, SANS, GIAC and ICS Village, Inc. will provide additional specialized experiential training
options and offer certification pathways to apprentices in both regions. Siemens Energy is the first
employer participating in the apprenticeship program and will bring its deep knowledge of
operating equipment and cybersecurity best practices to the hands-on learning experience.
The current cybersecurity workforce gap comes as threats against critical infrastructure systems
continue to escalate with attacks threating the energy sector and municipal services in the United
States in 2021. According to CyberSeek, a project supported by the National Initiative for
Cybersecurity Education (NICE), the U.S. cybersecurity workforce has only enough workers to fill
about 68% of the current demand, with industrial sectors experiencing the workforce gap more
acutely. In a recent survey by SANS, half (56%) of companies reported experiencing difficulties
implementing existing critical infrastructure security plans due to insufficient labor resources.
Cybersecurity for critical infrastructure differs from cybersecurity for information technologies.
Securing critical infrastructure requires defenders to recognize anomalies that could be a sign of a
cyberattack in both physical and digital technologies. Currently, there are fewer than ten colleges
that have classes covering cybersecurity for operational technologies. The CIISAp apprenticeship
program will help meet a growing need for cybersecurity professionals with cross-cutting skills that
incorporate the training of a mechanical engineer, an electrical engineer, and a cybersecurity
expert.
The new MOU lays the groundwork for the team that will design and coordinate the apprenticeship
program. In the coming months, the consortium will select the companies that will participate in
hands-on rotations, and the standards expected from those companies. The consortium plans to
announce new private sector, academic, and non-profit consortium members looking to participate
in the apprenticeship program ahead of its first cohort class.
[Quotes from consortium partners in alphabetical order]
Dr. William H Butler, Chair of Cyber and Information Security, Capitol Technology University: “Cyber
is a field you'll never be unemployed in. The government has recognized we're hundreds of
thousands of students behind and we will be for a while. There is an unprecedented demand for
cybersecurity professionals and educators. We need to increase our capacity to educate our future
cyber professionals.”
Thomas VanNorman, CoFounder, ICS Village: “High profile Industrial Control System security issues
have grabbed headlines and sparked change throughout all industries. This apprenticeship program
will provide ICS Village another avenue to train and introduce people to Industrial Control Systems
that are used within Critical Infrastructure and help close the gap on the shortage of skilled
employees."
Kevin Satterlee, President, ISU: “As one of the first programs of its kind in the country, Idaho State
University’s Informatics Research Institute has been a leader in creating cybersecurity professionals.
We are excited to join the consortium in extending that same leadership to this apprenticeship
program.”
Armando Seay, Director, MISI Academy: “MISI and the MISI Academy are excited about the
opportunity to link our passions and energies towards the goal of closing the gap in the real world
cybersecurity skills needed by the nation in support of our very critical infrastructure. The gap in
industrial control knowledge is real and our team sees it daily as part of our internships with
students at the high school level and from universities from across the U.S.”
Teresa McKnight, CEO, REDI: “The new apprenticeship program will help meet a growing need for
cybersecurity professionals who can defend physical systems. Nine out of 10 jobs that call for
cybersecurity in defense of critical infrastructure remain vacant. These jobs did not exist 10 years
ago, but they will be essential to our modern economy for decades to come.”
Steve Peterson, Managing Director, SANS Institute: “We continue to see an increase in threats and
breaches while the demand for cybersecurity professionals grows exponentially, so we are proud to
be a part of the solution with Siemens Energy to train and certify cybersecurity professionals. This
industrial cybersecurity apprenticeship directly addresses the need for new cyber talent with the
specific skills to protect critical infrastructure.”
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Siemens Energy is one of the world’s leading energy technology companies. The company works with its customers and partners on energy systems for the future, thus supporting the transition to a more sustainable world. With its portfolio of products, solutions and services, Siemens Energy covers almost the entire energy value chain – from power generation and transmission to storage. The portfolio includes conventional and renewable energy technology, such as gas and steam turbines, hybrid power plants operated with hydrogen, and power generators and transformers. More than 50 percent of the portfolio has already been decarbonized. A majority stake in the listed company Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) makes Siemens Energy a global market leader for renewable energies. An estimated one-sixth of the electricity generated worldwide is based on technologies from Siemens Energy. Siemens Energy employs around 91,000 people worldwide in more than 90 countries and generated revenue of €28.5 billion in fiscal year 2021.