Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) has proposed legislation that would help pay for cybersecurity job training.
The Cybersecurity Opportunity Act would create the Satcher Grants, named for Dr. David Satcher, a former U.S. Surgeon General and dean of the Morehouse School of Medicine. It would expand cybersecurity training programs at HBCUs and at colleges and universities with a high number of Pell Grant recipients.
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Ossoff said the growing cybersecurity work force in Augusta was part of the inspiration for the legislation.
“The cyber center at Augusta University is a great example of what institutions can do in this emerging field,” he said. “This legislation has passed the Senate Homeland Security Committee on a unanimous bipartisan basis. And it has 40 co-sponsors in the U.S. House.”
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Eligible institutions, such as Paine College, would apply for grants to the Secretary of Homeland Security, including information on how the institution would use the funds to grow cybersecurity education opportunities. At least 50% of funds would go the eligible institutions.
Dr. Cheryl Evans Jones, president of Paine College, said, “The legislation proposed by Sen. Ossoff will be a tremendous boost in developing, expanding and strengthening cybersecurity programs at HBCUs to meet the growing needs of the field. This is particularly true of HBCUs such as Paine College, as Augusta is a leader in cybersecurity with nearby Fort Gordon as the home of the U.S. Army Signal School, the U.S. Cyber Center of Excellence and the U.S. Army Cyber Command.”
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Augusta District 2 Commissioner Dennis Williams sees potential benefit for students and the area.
“It’s going to help with workforce,” Williams said. “It also shows young people what they need to go to college for. This gives an avenue for young people that are interested in that field to really go into it and to stick with it. With the cyber center and Augusta Tech we have everything that young people need here in Augusta. Just need some money.”
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) is one of seven co-sponsors in the Senate.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a Staff Reporter with The Augusta Press. You can reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
