REMAIN VACANT IN THE FIELD OF CYBERSECURITY.
AND NEWS 5 INVESTIGATES HAS LEARNED IN COLORADO SPRINGS...
THERE'S A PLAN TO DEVELOP A WORKFORCE TO CLOSE THAT GAP.
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER PATRICK NELSON JOINS US..
PATRICK, THIS PLAN STARTS IN OUR HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOMS...
THAT'S WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY-- BUT SOME OF THE BIGGEST SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN OUR STATE DON'T EVEN OFFER CYBERSECURITY
COURSES.
IT HAS LEFT US IN SEARCH OF A WORKFORCE THAT CAN BEGIN TO FILL THE MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION VACANT CYBERSECURITY JOBS.
HERE IN COLORADO SPRINGS-- ONE TEACHER IS WORKING TO CHANGE THAT-- AND PROVE THERE IS A FUTURE IN CYBERSECURITY.
ANIMATION/MUSIC "A FUTURE IN CYBERSECURITY" "YOU ARE A CYBERSECURITY CONSULTANT.
YOU'VE BEEN HIRED BYRJWAC INDUSTRIES TO AUDIT THEIR NETWORK AND DETERMINE
WHERE THE VULNERABILITIES MIGHT BE.
ALRIGHT? LET'S GET TO WORK." BILL TOMEO IS ONE OF A SELECT FEW HIGH SCHOOL
CYBERSECURITY TEACHERS IN THE STATE OF COLORADO.
HE'S WORKING WITH STUDENTS FROM DISTRICT-11 RIGHT HERE IN COLORADO SPRINGS.
BILL TOMEO / CYBERSECURITY INSTRUCTOR "EVERYDAY IS GOING TO CHANGE SO THAT MAKES THE CAREER EXCITING RIGHT? THERE IS LONGEVITY ON THIS.
IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE.
WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE MORE PROBLEMS TOMORROW THAT WE HAD THE DAY BEFORE." CITY LEADERS, TOP
EDUCATORS, AND THE NATIONAL CYBERSECURITY CENTER ARE PARTNERING TOGETHER TO WORK TOWARD A VISION OF MAKING COLORADO SPRINGS THE NATION'S HUB FOR CYBERSECURITY.
IN ORDER TO DO THAT-- THEY NEED A WORKFORCE-- THESE STUDENTS CAN HELP ELIMINATE THE SHORTAGE IN THE CYBERSECURITY INDUSTRY.
BILL TOMEO / CYBERSECURITY INSTRUCTOR "WHEN I FINISHED MY WHOLE CAREER CYCLE AND DECIDED TO TAKE ON TEACHING THAT WAS A GAP I WANTED TO TRY TO CLOSE FOR US
HERE IN COLORADO SPRINGS." BUILDING HIS CYBERSECURITY COURSE FROM THE GROUND UP-- TOMEO SAYS GENERATING INTEREST IN CYBERSECURITY AND COMPUTER SCIENCE ISN'T ALWAYS EASY.
STUDENTS AGREE-- HISTORICALLY THIS FIELD HAS BEEN PRESENTED AS OUT OF REACH.
XAVIER WILSON / JUNIOR, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT "PEOPLE AREN'T PRESENTING THE COURSE CORRECTLY.
I FEEL LIKE WHAT PEOPLE GET OFF OF IT IS IT IS OVERLY COMPLICATED.
THAT NOT ANYONE CAN DO IT.
ONLY PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY SMART CAN DO IT AND THAT'S NOT TRUE ANYBODY CAN GET INTO THIS CAREER AND ANYBODY CAN GET INVESTED IF THEY GIVE IT A CHANCE." GRAPHIC
EVERY YEAR MORE THAN 50,000 STUDENTS GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL IN COLORADO-- ESTIMATES SHOW ONLY ABOUT 1,000 OF THOSE STUDENTS HAVE TAKEN AP COMPUTER SCIENCE.
OF THE 647 HIGH SCHOOLS IN COLORADO, ONLY 96 OFFER AP COMPUTER SCIENCE-- AND EVEN
FEWER OFFER A SPECIFIC COURSE ON CYBERSECURITY.
BUT THANKS TO THE SUCCESS OF TOMEO'S PROGRAM-- WORK IS BEING DONE ALL OVER THE CENTENNIAL STATE TO BRING THESE COURSES TO MORE STUDENTS IN THE YEARS TO COME.
BILL TOMEO / CYBERSECURITY INSTRUCTOR "THE VISION IS TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND RIGHT? I MEAN, I'M ONE TEACHER TEACHING THESE COURSES RIGHT NOW IN D-11 AND IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE THIS
FACILITY HAVE MULTIPLE LABS WITH MULTIPLE INSTRUCTORS AND TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE MORE CYBER TOPICS ALONG THE WAY." PALMER HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE DEE-DRA
DEIDRE LA-CORE LACOURIS ONE OF TOMEO'S FORMER STUDENTS WHO DISCOVERED A PASSION FOR CYBERSECURITY IN THIS CLASSROOM.
DEIRDRE LACOUR / PALMER HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE "IT WAS JUST KIND OF A RIGHT PLACE RIGHT TIME FOR ME KIND OF THING AND I REALLY GOT INTO IT, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD
BE CATERED TO PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE TO AT LEAST GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE." SHE'S NOW A STUDENT AT U-C-C-S AND ON TRACK TO BECOME ONE OF
TOMEO'S FIRST STUDENTS TO APPLY WHAT SHE LEARNED HIS HIS CLASSROOM TO THE CYBERSECURITY FIELD IN COLORADO SPRINGS.
DEIRDRE LACOUR / PALMER HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE "YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT CREATIVE MINDSET BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SEE BOTH SIDES, THE GOOD GUYS AND THE BAD GUYS.
YOU HAVE TO TRY TO HELP SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS THAT REQUIRE CREATIVE THINKING BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THESE PEOPLE ARE THINKING WHEN THEY ARE INFILTRATING SYSTEMS OR WHATEVER THEY ARE
DOING." BILL TOMEO / CYBERSECURITY INSTRUCTOR "YOU ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALL OF THOSE WORK SKILLS IN HERE BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO MAKE YOU
MORE COMPETITIVE FOR A JOB OUT THERE." BUT ULTIMATELY-- FOR MANY STUDENTS-- FINDING A CAREER IN CYBERSECURITY IS ABOUT HAVING LONGTERM FINANCIAL STABILITY AND
FINDING OPPORTUNITIES CLOSE TO HOME.
TOMEO'S CLASS HAS THEM STARTED ON THAT PATH.
XAVIER WILSON / JUNIOR, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT "IF YOU ARE ABLE TO GET AHEAD OF THE GAME.
YOU CAN REALLY PURSUE THE CAREER BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE AND IT'S ALWAYS CHANGING.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A REPETITIVE JOB LIKE MOST JOBS." COLORADO SPRINGS WILL HOST THE 2019 NATIONAL CYBER
SYMPOSIUM AT THE BROADMOOR IN SEPTEMBER.
IN THE MEANTIME-- WORK IS BEING DONE TO INCREASE DIVERSITY AND ENROLLMENT IN CYBERSECURITY CLASSES.
YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION MR.
TOMEO'S COURSE AND WAYS TO EXPAND CYBERSECURITY EDUCATION ON OUR WEBSITE KOAA DOT