NIST to Support Cybersecurity Jobs “Heat Map” to Highlight Employer Needs and Worker Skills

As part of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s “Skills for Business” initiative, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is funding the development of a visualization tool that will show the demand for and availability of critical cybersecurity jobs across the nation. The project, funded through NIST’s National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), will provide data to help employers, job seekers, policy makers, training providers, and guidance counselors in order to meet today’s increasing demand for cybersecurity workers.

In partnership with job market analytics and research firm Burning Glass Technologies, CompTIA, a non-profit trade association for IT professionals and organizations, has received a three-year grant to conduct extensive research and create a “heat map” that visualizes the need for, and supply of, cybersecurity workers across the country. Heat maps are a popular data visualization tool that, in this case, will use varying shades of color to show relative differences in the geographic concentration of supply and demand. CompTIA has been awarded $249,000 in first-year funding.

“Through its ‘Skills for Business initiative,’ the Department of Commerce has made job-driven training a priority for the very first time,” said U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Bruce Andrews. “This investment will help align the demand and supply for more than 230,000 cybersecurity job openings across the country. Efforts like these are part of our strategy to meet the demands of our businesses and prepare our workers for 21st century jobs.”

“This unique tool will allow users on both sides of the employment equation to assess supply and demand in cybersecurity on a city-by-city or state-by-state basis,” said NICE Director Rodney Petersen. “The information will help students and job-seekers understand the diverse career pathways available to them and can influence education and training providers to align their curriculum and programs to address emerging workforce needs.” 

In an industry survey, CompTIA found that 74 percent of businesses rate cybersecurity as a greater concern today than it was two years ago. That concern is evident in the 91 percent growth of postings for cybersecurity jobs from 2010-2014, measured by analytics firm Burning Glass. 

Once developed, the map will be updated every 90 days to show job postings grouped into categories mapped to the NICE National Cybersecurity Workforce Framework, using job titles, skills, educational degrees, certifications, experience and other credentials advertised by employers. The NICE Jobs Heat Map will also provide information on the supply of workers with relevant degrees or certifications.

The first edition of the jobs heat map is expected to be released in late 2016.

NICE is a public-private partnership between government, academia and industry that promotes a robust network and integrated system of cybersecurity education, training and workforce development. 

As a non-regulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, NIST promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. To learn more about NIST, visit www.nist.gov.