Are you a student or graduate of Estrella Mountain Community College’s (EMCC) cyber program looking for a job or internship? Consider attending the fourth annual Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE) Virtual Career Fair.
Sponsored by the National Cybersecurity Training and Education (NCyTE) Center and the National Science Foundation (NSF), the career fair takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 4.
The fair connects students and alumni from CAE-designated institutions with employers looking to fill internships, part-time positions, and full-time positions. Students and alumni in cybersecurity degrees from institutions designated as CAE in Cybersecurity Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE), Cyber Operations (CAE-CO), and Research (CAE-R) may participate free of charge.
EMCC is designated as a CAE in Cyber Defense Education. It was the first two-year program in Arizona to be designated as a CAE-CDE in 2014. The designation is good for five years. The school earned the designation again in 2019.
“For EMCC to be designated as a CAE-CDE is an important piece of our overall cybersecurity education program,” said Glen Olson, CIS/Cybersecurity Faculty. “The vetting of our program to become a CAE-CDE means that EMCC meets the rigorous cybersecurity outcomes and knowledge units outlined by the National Security Agency.”
Event organizers stress that students and alumni from CAE-designated institutions are extremely valuable because they must meet the arduous curriculum requirements set forth by the NSA and DHS to graduate.
“The CAE-CDE designation ensures that students enrolled in the cybersecurity program at EMCC graduate with the knowledge and tools required to be effective cybersecurity professionals from day one,” Olson said.
Olson, who joined EMCC in 2013 and has been teaching IT technical and security courses since 2000, said the cyber career field has enormous potential for professional growth, and starting salaries can range from $55,000 to $100,000. Employees are in high demand with more than 8,000 unfilled positions in the Phoenix metro area alone.
“As the digital world expands around us, the threats to that digital world expand as well,” he said. “From thrill-seeking hackers and criminal elements to governmental cyber warfare, the need for skilled cybersecurity professionals far outpaces the current qualified workforce availability.”
Students and alumni must first register and submit a resume to participate in the CAE Virtual Career Fair. The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education is even providing access to its resume and interview tutorials. Click here to learn more.
To learn more about EMCC’s Cyber Security program, visit https://www.estrellamountain.edu/institutes/networking-technologies-ins…
Interested in attending EMCC? Registration for the Fall 2020 semester is currently underway. EMCC offers a variety of associate degrees and certificates. It also partners closely with several schools including Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and University of Arizona, for transfer programs. Classes can be taken in person, online, or in a hybrid format. To begin your journey, visit https://www.estrellamountain.edu/students/enrollment-steps.