Sponsors (2)
The bill expands and funds cybersecurity apprenticeship pathways, employer pipelines, and apprentice supports—improving access to middle-skilled jobs and workforce quality—while increasing federal spending and creating risks that larger providers, favored certifications, implementation complexity, and limited outreach flexibility could leave smaller employers, rural communities, and non‑cyber specializations disadvantaged.
Tech workers, students, and unemployed job-seekers gain paid, industry-certified apprenticeship pathways into cybersecurity jobs, creating direct routes into middle- and higher-skilled careers without a traditional degree.
Employers and small businesses gain a more reliable pipeline of workers with stackable, portable cybersecurity credentials, lowering hiring/training barriers and improving workforce relevance.
Apprentices from low-income and underrepresented backgrounds receive wraparound support (career counseling, mentorship, transportation, housing, child care) that improves completion and employment outcomes.
Taxpayers face increased federal spending and fiscal uncertainty because the bill authorizes grant funding and allows unlimited appropriations without specified amounts or caps.
Benefits and grant awards risk concentrating with larger providers, employers, or favored vendors—specifying particular certifications and expanding intermediary definitions can advantage established organizations over small providers.
Small and rural employers and workers may get less access to apprenticeship slots or supports if intermediaries and funding flow to larger or urban employers.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Creates competitive DOL grants for intermediaries to build registered cybersecurity apprenticeships that combine training, certifications, and apprentice supports.
Introduced March 26, 2026 by Susie Lee · Last progress March 26, 2026
Creates a competitive grant program at the Department of Labor to fund workforce intermediaries that establish, expand, and run registered cybersecurity apprenticeship programs. Grants must support technical instruction, on-the-job training, industry-recognized certifications, and apprentice support services; most grant dollars must go to core apprenticeship activities, and funding is authorized as “such sums as may be necessary.”