opportunities throughout West Virginia , and effects of the pandemic have showcased the importance of filling this gap .
The High Technology Foundation strives to grow a knowledge sector in West Virginia ’ s economy by emphasizing STEM efforts in the state and creating contracting opportunities for the state ’ s businesses . A large aspect of the foundation ’ s focus is on cyber and recruiting those interested in cyber to West Virginia . Through an initiative called Come Home 2 WV , the foundation attempts to recruit West Virginians who moved away to find work and anyone working outside the state in the cyber industry to the Mountain State by maintaining a database of available cyber jobs .
“ We want to create a repository of people that companies can look at ,” says Estep . “ West Virginia is a wonderful place , and we ’ re recruiting anyone who might want to be considered . It ’ s really a dual approach — we must continue producing the right people from our educational institutions and retrain people where we can , but that has to go hand in hand with equally aggressive recruitment efforts .”
Addressing Cyber Needs
While the High Technology Foundation recruits from outside the state , the WVCTCS is working to train inside the state . It recently received a nearly $ 4 million apprenticeship grant from the U . S . Department of Labor toward its Apprenticeships in Motion ( AIM ) project , which is expected to train 1,600 apprentices in IT occupations through 2023 , according to Ligus .
Through the grant , apprentices will receive training through one of nine community or technical colleges in the state and be placed with a West Virginia business looking to fulfill IT jobs in areas like cybersecurity , software development , network administration and data analysis . Companies that participate will be reimbursed up to 50 % of the apprentice ’ s wages .
“ Because the cyber industry is one of the four largest sectors of growth in West Virginia after manufacturing , energy and health care , it is one of the sectors we are targeting ,” says Ligus . “ Every organization , every company , every business needs an IT person or someone with IT skills to work in the company . So , in that light , this grant allows us to help employers in West Virginia to either hire apprentices that are newly skilled through our programming or upskill their current employees with credentialed skills that lead them to higher-paying or higher-level jobs .”
Through apprentice training and expanding the state ’ s cyber industry , Ligus believes the AIM program , alongside the work of other organizations in the state , can not only attract attention to West Virginia but also allow the state to become a leader in addressing cybersecurity needs .
90
WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE