Symantec Launches Initiative to Close Cybersecurity Workforce Gap

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA, June 24, 2014 /3BL Media/ – Symantec today announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind program, the Symantec Cyber Career Connection (SC3), to address the global workforce gap in cybersecurity and provide new career opportunities for young adults who may not be college-bound. The program was announced as a Commitment to Action today at the Clinton Global Initiative America meeting by Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton and Symantec’s executive director of the program, Aled Miles. A pilot of the program will start in August in New York City, Baltimore and San Francisco Bay Area, and will be implemented through a network of partners, including Year Up, NPower and LifeJourney, working in conjunction with Symantec’s charitable foundation, the Symantec Foundation. The program will expand internationally in future years.

“This has been a priority for us because six years after the financial crash, many young people are still struggling. In fact, one of the most terrifying statistics is that nearly six million young Americans between the ages of 16 and 24 are out of school and out of work, and for those who don’t get a college education or even high school, most doors just won’t open no matter how hard they knock,” said Secretary Clinton. “We want to get to work and it's one of the highest priorities for CGI America and I’m delighted that there is so much interest because ultimately it’s about more than pay checks.”

Secretary Clinton is prioritizing youth employment as one of the key issues for her work at the Clinton Foundation, and believes that business-led initiatives will play a critical role in addressing this important economic challenge. The Clinton Foundation is working closely with businesses and leading nonprofits, economists, and advocates across the country to identify and scale effective ways for companies to address their core business needs through engaging our nation’s opportunity youth. At the 2014 CGI America meeting, Secretary Clinton announced Job One, a major set of commitments - including Symantec’s - focused on improving job pathways for youth in the United States. To facilitate the sharing of best practices, and encourage more companies to adopt youth employment activities, Secretary Clinton also announced at the 2014 CGI America meeting that CGI will be creating a U.S. Youth Employment Action Network to help CGI members continue to work on this important issue over the year ahead.

In a world of increased cybersecurity attacks, an estimated 300,000 cybersecurity jobs are vacant in the United States; among those, 60,000 could be filled by individuals without a four-year college degree.[1] Demand for cybersecurity professionals is expected to increase as the private sector faces unprecedented numbers of data breaches and cybersecurity threats. Symantec’s Internet Security Threat Report has shown that the amount of data breaches grew by 62% in 2013 and that approximately 552 million identities were exposed worldwide as a result of data breaches.

“Symantec is committed to making the world a safer and better place, and as a leader in cybersecurity we believe we can help solve the cyber career gap and move underserved young adults –including people of color, women and veterans – out of low-end jobs and into highly paid and meaningful careers,” said Cecily Joseph, vice president of Corporate Responsibility at Symantec. “SC3 will also help us meet the critical needs of our customers and strengthen national security in challenging economic times.”

The pilot program will include a cybersecurity curriculum developed by Symantec in partnership with the nonprofits, as well as a virtual mentorship program designed to promote and familiarize students with the industry.  Following their training, students will be placed in cybersecurity internships to learn how to be anything from a systems administrator to a network defense technician. Symantec will help program graduates seek jobs through its network of customers and partners. 

“We’re excited to partner on a program that so closely aligns with Year Up’s mission to enable low-income young adults to move from poverty to professional careers,” said Gerald Chertavian, founder and CEO of Year Up, an intensive one-year program that provides participants with six months of technical and professional skills training followed by a six-month corporate internship. “We’ve known that cybersecurity is one of the main subjects that our students are interested in, and as an authority on cybersecurity, Symantec is an ideal partner. This program will open the door for so many young adults to the lucrative cybersecurity field.”

“Our mission is to provide access and opportunity to underserved young adults through our proven tech and professional skills program,” said Stephanie Cuskley, CEO of NPower. “By expanding our existing partnership with Symantec, our New York City program will prepare these talented young adults to obtain industry-recognized CompTIA Network+, Security+ and Ethical Hacker certifications, and permanent employment to ultimately help fill the IT security field talent gap.”

Symantec, together with the Symantec Foundation, is providing financial support, software and human capital in the pilot program. See the SC3 website for complete information, http://go.symantec.com/cyber-career-connection.

About Symantec

Symantec Corporation (NASDAQ: SYMC) is an information protection expert that helps people, businesses and governments seeking the freedom to unlock the opportunities technology brings -- anytime, anywhere. Founded in April 1982, Symantec, a Fortune 500 company, operating one of the largest global data-intelligence networks, has provided leading security, backup and availability solutions for where vital information is stored, accessed and shared. The company's more than 20,000 employees reside in more than 50 countries. Ninety-nine percent of Fortune 500 companies are Symantec customers. In fiscal 2014, it recorded revenues of $6.7 billion. To learn more go to www.symantec.com or connect with Symantec at: go.symantec.com/socialmedia.

About The Symantec Foundation

The Symantec Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation created by Symantec Corporation to enable a sustainable and diverse future for the technology industry through global community partnerships.

About Clinton Global Initiative America

The Clinton Global Initiative America (CGI America), a program of the Clinton Global Initiative addresses economic recovery in the United States. Established in June 2011 by President Bill Clinton, CGI America brings together leaders in business, government, and civil society to generate and implement commitments to create jobs, stimulate economic growth, foster innovation, and support workforce development in the United States. Since its first meeting, CGI America participants have made over 300 commitments valued at more than $15 billion when fully funded and implemented. To learn more, visit cgiamerica.org.

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Forward-looking Statements: Any forward-looking indication of plans for products is preliminary and all future release dates are tentative and are subject to change. Any future release of the product or planned modifications to product capability, functionality, or feature are subject to ongoing evaluation by Symantec, and may or may not be implemented and should not be considered firm commitments by Symantec and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions.

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[1] (ICS)2 Cybersecurity Jobs Report (2013)