Secretaries in the House

US Labor Secretary Tom Perez, Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, and a cadre of cybersecurity professionals and elected officials gathered for a panel discussion on cybersecurity and workforce development goals late last year. The event followed a $15 million Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant award to MC and partner institutions.

In her remarks, Pritzker underscored the importance of developing a cybersecurity workforce. “As you all know, cybersecurity is a threat not just to our national security, but to our businesses and our economy at large… Meeting that task … requires close cooperation between government, the private sector, and institutions of higher education. That is what TAACCCT is all about: building a partnership between community colleges and local employers to train students to fill the jobs of today and prepare for the opportunities of tomorrow.”

Cybersecurity professional Aekaluck “Golf” Phanmanivong ’11sat on the panel, alongside grant partners, College faculty, and cyber and workforce industry experts. Phanmanivong interned at Lockheed Martin during high school and saw a possible career pathway, but he didn’t have the credentials or skills needed to grow in the company beyond customer service. He studied computer science at Montgomery College—because it was local and affordable—then he earned a four-year degree in cybersecurity at University of Maryland University College. He then landed his current position as information assurance engineer at Lockheed.