SJSU to Collaborate on Effort to Increase Cybersecurity Workforce

In partnership with Cal State San Bernardino (CSUSB) and Fresno State, San José State University hopes to address the shortage of cybersecurity professionals by promoting cybersecurity education programs. Photo by David Schmitz.

In partnership with Cal State San Bernardino (CSUSB) and Fresno State, San José State University hopes to address the shortage of cybersecurity professionals by promoting cybersecurity education programs that will result in the development of a skilled workforce.

This collaborative effort, led by CSUSB, will also involve key stakeholders, with the mission to nurture and increase the number of skilled cybersecurity workers for the future. The effort will take place throughout California in all levels of education, from K-12 to community colleges and four-year universities.

SJSU and Fresno State each received $1 million for the program. The pilot partnership, named Work Force Innovation Technology Hubs Cyber — (WITH Cyber) — is funded with $2 million through the state’s Cybersecurity Regional Alliances and Multistakeholder Partnership Pilot Program, which is called for in the California Education Code and Assembly Bill 569, and funded through June 2026.

The three universities were selected by the Chancellor’s Office of the California State University (CSU) for their ongoing work in the field: San Jose Staté produces the most security engineers working in Silicon Valley; CSUSB is a Center for Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity; and Fresno State works with the California Governor’s Cybersecurity Taskforce in the state Office of Emergency Services. 

The three universities are tasked with creating a pilot program with goals and metrics, developing strategies and tactics to build successful regional alliances and multi-stakeholder partnerships, and measuring the impact and results of the pilot program, which will be shared with the CSU Chancellor’s Office.

The end goal is to leverage the 23-campus CSU, the largest state university system in the nation, as a driver for developing the cyber workforce, through a combination of research, apprenticeships, outreach and mentorships, as well as defining workforce pathways.

Because the CSU student population is among the most diverse in the nation, the effort would also increase and expand the diversity in the cybersecurity workforce. The CSU system’s many first-generation college students will also help fulfill the CSU’s mission of increasing social mobility through high-paying jobs in a fast-growing industry.

In an email announcing the funding to the three universities, Ganesh Raman, the CSU’s assistant vice chancellor of research, wrote, “With the combined expertise of these pilot campuses, guided by CSUSB’s leadership, we are confident the program is poised to make a significant impact on cybersecurity education and partnerships throughout California. … We are excited to witness the collective efforts of California State University San Bernardino, San José State University, and Fresno State University shaping the future educational landscape of cybersecurity within California and beyond.”

Learn more about SJSU cybersecurity opportunities.