# Understanding the DHS Cybersecurity Training Program Bill

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) currently has trouble filling cybersecurity jobs. This bill creates a new training program to help solve that problem by taking people who already work at DHS in other jobs and training them to become cybersecurity experts. Instead of hiring from outside, the government would develop its own cybersecurity workforce from within.

Here's how it would work in practice: DHS would set up a formal apprenticeship program where current employees could learn cybersecurity skills through a mix of online classes, in-person training, and hands-on work with experienced cybersecurity staff. A director would oversee the program and track which cybersecurity positions are open across the entire department, what skills people need to fill those jobs, and which current employees show promise for this kind of work. The program would also use testing tools to figure out which employees have the natural ability to succeed in cybersecurity roles.

The bill requires the program director to submit monthly reports to the DHS Secretary about job openings and yearly reports to Congress about how the program is working. This keeps everyone informed about whether the training is actually helping fill the cybersecurity positions that have been sitting empty. For regular Americans, this matters because DHS handles critical infrastructure protection and national security—having a well-trained cybersecurity team means better protection against cyber attacks that could affect everything from power grids to water systems. The bill essentially says the government should invest in training its own people rather than constantly struggling to recruit from the private sector, where cybersecurity experts command high salaries.

DHS Cybersecurity On-the-Job Training and Employment Apprentice Program Act

Jackson Lee, Sheila

DHS Cybersecurity On-the-Job Training and Employment Apprentice Program Act This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish a DHS Cybersecurity On-the-Job Training and Employment Apprentice Program to identify and train DHS employees for cybersecurity work. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency within DHS must lead the program. Among other things, the agency must (1) track the status of cybersecurity positions at DHS, (2) develop a program curriculum, and (3) recruit DHS employees for the program.