Community College Programs Help Fill Skills Gap in U.S.

A look at the week of April 16 in public advocacy for the IT channel:  This week, the House announced changes to the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act in response to criticism from privacy groups.  John O. Brennan, President Obama’s senior adviser on counterterrorism and homeland security, published an op-ed warning that cyber legislation must be passed quickly.  USA Today looks at the role of community colleges in workforce retraining initiatives for careers in fast growing industries like IT and healthcare.


Under Pressure, House Committee Changes Cybersecurity Bill — Responding to criticism from privacy advocates, the House Intelligence Committee announced changes to the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) this week. CISPA would tear down legal barriers that discourage companies from sharing information about cyberattacks, but privacy groups warn the legislation could lead companies to hand over personal user information to “spy agencies.” The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and other groups are leading a week of protests against the legislation, reports The Hill.


Time to Protect against Dangers of Cyberattack — John O. Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, published an Op-Ed in The Washington Post maintaining that cybersecurity legislation is needed urgently.  According to Brennan, 85 percent of our critical infrastructure — power plants, refineries, transportation systems and water treatment centers —is owned and operated by the private sector. The Op-Ed states that while most companies take proper precautions, some have opted to accept risks that, if exploited, would endanger public safety and national security.


Community College Programs Help Fill Skills Gap in U.S. – Community colleges have long viewed job training as central to their mission, but the role has taken on added significance since the economic recession, says USA Today . Even with nearly 13 million Americans unemployed, some companies can't find qualified candidates. As many as 3.5 million jobs are unfilled right now, many of them in the fields of information technology, healthcare and advanced manufacturing, according to the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. To help close that skills gap, President Obama this year proposed an $8 billion Community College to Career Fund to create public-private initiatives that get displaced workers back to work.