The partnership comes as the demand for cyber security expertise increases
The American Association of Community Colleges announced that the College of Southern Nevada has joined a national effort by Microsoft and AACC to expand cybersecurity programs at community colleges.
Through the Cyber Skills for All initiative, Microsoft and AACC are partnering with the nation’s top community college cyber security programs to give technical assistance and support. CSN’s program has long been recognized as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense 2-Year Education by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency.
“We are thrilled to join an elite group of community colleges working with Microsoft in the national cyber security space,” said CSN President Dr. Federico Zaragoza. “Ensuring that our cyber security students receive the highest quality education possible is critical as the demand for expertise in fending off cyber attacks becomes more important than ever in protecting Nevada’s and the nation’s technology infrastructure.”
CSN is one of 14 colleges that will receive $20,000 each to participate in the “community of practice,” which comprises community college workforce and economic development executives who will work to skill people for jobs and participation in the digital economy, according to the AACC. The colleges will join the first cohort of colleges selected last year.
The announcement is another example of CSN’s growing national significance in both the academic and workforce arenas, with specialized programs like cyber security that can quickly lead to high-paying jobs and job training programs like Ability to Benefit that is designed to help those who did not finish high school gain meaningful employment in manufacturing, healthcare, IT and financial services.
Those interested in learning more about CSN’s Cyber Security program can visit www.csn.edu/cybercenter.