Sponsors (2)
The bill expands and funds paid cybersecurity apprenticeship pathways and wraparound supports to quickly grow a skilled workforce and help employers, but does so with open-ended federal spending and program rules that create administrative burdens and limit flexibility for local adaptation.
Tech workers, unemployed people, students, and young adults gain access to paid cybersecurity apprenticeships with industry-recognized and stackable credentials that improve employability and career mobility.
Small businesses and employers gain a stronger pipeline of trained cybersecurity staff and reduced hiring/training costs thanks to grant-funded curricula, technical instruction, and employer-facing supports.
Apprentices from low-income and underserved backgrounds receive wraparound supports (career counseling, mentorship, transportation, housing and child care assistance), lowering barriers to participation and completion.
Taxpayers face open-ended and potentially substantial federal costs because the bill does not set specific funding limits or timeframes, and it reduces direct congressional appropriation control.
Small businesses and workforce intermediaries may incur nontrivial administrative, registration, and compliance burdens (including DOL apprenticeship registration), creating upfront costs and barriers to program participation.
The program’s specificity—listing particular certifications, aligning to the NICE framework, and limiting outreach spending (e.g., 15% cap)—could favor certain vendors, reduce flexibility to adopt emerging skills, and limit local adaptation.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Creates competitive grants to intermediaries for registered cybersecurity apprenticeships that fund training, certifications, employer partnerships, and apprentice supports.
Introduced March 26, 2026 by Jacklyn Sheryl Rosen · Last progress March 26, 2026
Creates a competitive grant program for workforce intermediaries to establish, expand, and support registered cybersecurity apprenticeship programs that combine technical instruction, on‑the‑job training, and industry certifications. Grants must be spent mostly on apprenticeship registration, employer partnerships, curriculum and training, and apprentice support services, while a smaller portion may be used for outreach and coordination. Funding is authorized as "such sums as may be necessary," with no specific dollar amounts included.