Dive Brief:

• As online threats increase and cyber experts become harder to find, employers can train their own cyber security staff, Kristen Hoyt writes for Tech.Co.
• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that the hiring of information security analysts will rise by 18% between 2014 and 2024, says Tech.Co. BLS also says that cyber professionals — when they can be found — are hired faster than all other occupations. The skills gap for cyber security experts is widening with every cyber attack, but that the labor force hasn't developed the workers to fill the gap, Tech.Co says.
• The author, a dean at University of Phoenix, urges employers to either train their own cyber security specialists through apprenticeships; offer employees flexible work schedules to attend classes; or encourage workers to enroll in certificate programs.

Dive Insight:

The author asks businesses to partner with schools help employees gain the skills that the workplace needs now. School-business partnerships aren't a new phenomenon, but more companies might need to form alliances with academic institutions to prepare today's workforce for the jobs that are most in demand.

Apprenticeships, which have drawn interest from President Donald Trump and Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, allow workers to earn an income while they're learning a trade, and allow employers to train workers for the skills they need and in the way that suits their organizations. Trump has said he wants to create 5 million apprenticeships in five years. Funding will likely come from existing federal training programs.

Or if employers want to go it alone, there are certainly resources available to help them create in-house training programs focused on upskilling current employees.