IBM is collaborating with 20 Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs) in 11 states on the establishment of Cybersecurity Leadership Centers.
According to the Armonk-based company, 500,000 cybersecurity jobs remain unfilled in the U.S. at a time when insufficiently staffed organizations average $550,000 more in cybersecurity breach costs compared with those that are sufficiently staffed.
In this new endeavor the faculty and students at the participating HBCUs will have access to coursework, lectures, immersive training experiences, certifications, IBM cloud-hosted software and professional development resources, all at no cost to them.
“Collaborations between academia and the private sector can help students prepare for success. That’s especially true for HBCUs because their mission is so vital,” said Justina Nixon-Saintil, vice president of corporate social responsibility and ESG at IBM. “The Cybersecurity Leadership Centers we’re co-creating with Historically Black College and Universities epitomize our commitment to the Black community and STEM education; it also builds on our pledge to train 150,000 people in cybersecurity over three years.”
