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U.P. Cybersecurity Consortium awarded Marshall Plan grants

MARQUETTE — The Upper Peninsula Cybersecurity Consortium, convened by Northern Michigan University with industry and education partners, has been awarded about $2.47 million through Michigan’s Marshall Plan for Talent to improve the state’s talent development and education system.

Thirteen talent consortia, representing 500 entities, were awarded a total of nearly $14 million in innovation grants to develop talent pipelines for high-wage, high-demand occupations through education and training initiatives.

“We’re elated that the Marshall Plan for Talent is demonstrating the value of this initiative through its generous support,” said NMU President Fritz Erickson in a news release. “We will be able to leverage the new U.P. Cybersecurity Institute on NMU’s campus as a shared regional resource for providing career exploration for K-12 school districts, non-credit credentials and cyber certifications to address the workforce gap in this emerging field. The institute also complements NMU’s related bachelor’s degree program.”

The institute — one of only six in Michigan and the first facility of its kind in the U.P. — offers non-degree and industry credentials relevant to careers in cybersecurity.

The initiative involves collaborating with 18 K-12 school districts and four intermediate school districts to expedite students’ career preparation through focused programs and a badging system, according to the NMU news release. Industry professionals will help to develop curriculum for competency badges and work through the institute to train teachers in five “anchor” school districts: NICE Community Schools, Marquette Area Public Schools, the Adams Township School District, Menominee Area Public Schools and Escanaba Area Public Schools.

“Those teachers will then be able to train colleagues at smaller districts in their areas, so it’s a hub-and-spoke model we envision,” said Steve VandenAvond, vice president of NMU Extended Learning and Community Engagement, in a news release.

He said students will have an opportunity to complete one to three badges in a series, enabling them to advance to the U.P. Cybersecurity Institute to obtain industry-certified credentials as a pathway to professional careers.

NMU and an industry advisory panel are working to create a cybersecurity ecosystem based in Marquette that will branch out across the U.P. since cybersecurity jobs can be performed remotely from nearly everywhere.

NMU alumnus Keith Glendon of Marquette, program director for Worldwide Sales, Strategy and Business Development with IBM Security, advocates developing “new economy” opportunities for the region. He serves on the industry advisory committee for cyber education initiatives at NMU.

“Cybersecurity is a critical component of all modern industries and a core part of the foundation for our future as a tech-based innovation zone,” Glendon said in a news release.

Dave Nyberg, director of corporate engagement at NMU, addressed the geography component.

“The geographical disposition of the U.P. that often presents logistical barriers for growth in certain industries actually provides a competitive advantage for cyber and IT companies that embrace a culture of allowing employees to work where they want to live,” Nyberg said in a news release.

NMU will help fund a full-time staff member to coordinate U.P. Cybersecurity Institute activities. The innovation grants also will support a portion of that cost, along with curriculum creation, professional development for teachers, stipends for industry mentors, endorsement/certification fees and equipment for the institute and anchor school districts.

NICE Community Schools is the fiscal agent for the cybersecurity grant from the Marshall Plan.

“NICE Community Schools is thrilled to be the fiscal agent for the U.P. Cybersecurity Talent Consortium,” said Bryan DeAugustine, school district superintendent, in an email. “We cannot thank NMU or our business partners enough. This will give our students amazing access to the world of cybersecurity and the jobs available in that field.”

DeAugustine said the district will act as the accounting agency for the project. The money will come into NICE Community Schools, which will distribute the funds to the project’s participating partners.

“These investments help improve our education system and enhance talent development pipelines that we need to prepare Michiganders for the high-demand, high-wage careers of today and tomorrow,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a news release.

According to the Talent and Economic Development Department of Michigan, of the nearly $14 million in awards, $6.89 million will go toward purchasing state-of-the-art equipment students can use to learn with hands-on techniques. Another $6.14 million will help develop world-class curricula for each consortium, and an additional $150,000 will go toward evolving some districts to a competency-based education model.

Also, $465,385 will focus on hiring career navigators who will help students explore career options and pathways in Michigan while providing needed support to school counselors, each of whom serves an average 729 students annually.

“The Marshall Plan for Talent sets the stage for Michigan to bring businesses and education together and lays the foundation for a new model that will help students explore in-demand careers and ultimately address the skills gap in Michigan,” Talent and Economic Development Department of Michigan Acting Director Stephanie Beckhorn said in a news release.

The awarded consortia represent a diverse group of businesses, K-12 districts, post-secondary education institutions and other entities, including 155 small and large school districts,136 businesses, 56 post-secondary institutions, 41 industry associations, 19 Michigan Works! agencies and 92 non-profit and other organizations.

The funding benefits more than 220,000 students and their communities statewide.

“The Marshall Plan promotes the building of partnerships — a strategy for schools and businesses to innovate and rethink how we go about preparing our young people for the future,” interim state Superintendent Sheila Alles said in a news release.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250.

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