Sponsors (2)
Introduced March 26, 2026 by Jacklyn Sheryl Rosen · Last progress March 26, 2026
The bill expands and funds cybersecurity apprenticeship pathways, supports apprentices and lowers some employer barriers to grow and diversify the workforce, but it does so with open-ended federal spending, tighter grant use rules, and provisions that may reduce flexibility or create transitional and administrative burdens.
Tech workers, students, unemployed jobseekers, small businesses, and underserved communities gain substantially expanded access to registered cybersecurity and related apprenticeship pathways through clarified intermediary partnerships (colleges, community organizations), paid on‑the‑job training, and industry-recognized credentials, improving hiring prospects and career pathways.
Federal grant support prioritizes direct apprenticeship activities (majority of funds) and helps organizations cover startup and training costs, increasing training capacity and lowering the upfront barrier for program creation without immediate new entitlement spending for individuals.
Apprentices receive wraparound supports (counseling, mentorship, transportation, housing, child care) and targeted outreach to underrepresented groups, which should boost retention, completion, and diversity in cybersecurity apprenticeships.
Taxpayers face increased and uncertain federal spending because grants and program funding are authorized without specified dollar limits or timeframes.
Lack of specified appropriations and funding detail reduces transparency and congressional oversight and could produce insufficient or delayed funding, creating implementation uncertainty for agencies and beneficiaries.
Specifying particular certifications and mandating alignment to a single framework (NICE) may reduce program flexibility, disadvantage alternative or emerging credential paths, and slow adaptation to rapidly changing cybersecurity skill needs.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Creates competitive Labor Department grants to intermediaries to establish and expand registered cybersecurity apprenticeships with certifications and apprentice supports.
Provides competitive Labor Department grants to intermediaries to create, expand, and run registered apprenticeship programs in cybersecurity that combine classroom instruction, on-the-job training, and industry certifications. Grants must fund approved certifications, promote stackable credentials, and support apprentices with counseling, transportation, housing, and child care while aligning curricula to the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework. Requires grantees to spend at least 85% of funds on direct apprenticeship activities (registration, employer support, curriculum, training costs, and apprentice supports) and allows up to 15% for outreach and coordination. Authorizes unspecified appropriations to carry out the program.