Last month the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation (the Foundation) partnered with Global Ties Arizona to host nine international and emerging leaders worldwide evaluating cybersecurity to discuss advancing an open, reliable, and secure digital economy.
The Foundation’s Cybersecurity Workforce Collaborative and members of the Greater Phoenix Chamber’s leadership and Public Affairs teams met with international leaders from government agencies focused on information and community technology (ICT), as well as policy influencers who are members of parliaments, think tank representatives, academics, entrepreneurs, and NGO representatives. Each was hand-selected by U.S. Embassies in their country to participate in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), which is the second largest State Department-funded program after Fulbright.
“Through this discussion with an exceptional group of international leaders, it was clear that a strong cybersecurity ecosystem increasingly relies on a steady and talented workforce. Their international echo of the prioritization of workforce development solidifies the important work the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation’s workforce collaboratives are accomplishing,” said Todd Sanders, President & CEO of the Foundation. “We thank Global Ties AZ for the invitation to facilitate this roundtable and look forward to future opportunities to showcase Arizona’s innovative workforce development solutions.”
The Foundation’s Cybersecurity Workforce Collaborative includes a wide variety of companies with cybersecurity as a component of their business but not as their core business function. The group consists of industry professionals, educators, and training partners working to address talent shortages for security analysts at the junior, mid, and senior levels.
Led by industry, the Foundation has developed a three-pronged approach to strengthen the cybersecurity workforce pipeline: spread career awareness, attain academic alignment, and establish opportunities for individuals to earn an income. At the same time, they learn cybersecurity skills that will lead to employment.
“Arizona is the premier location for cybersecurity. We are proud to partner with our employers and state representatives to share insights and offer recommendations on advancing the cybersecurity industry and further developing its talent pipeline,” said Jennifer Mellor, Chief Innovation Officer of the Foundation.
Learn more about the Cybersecurity Workforce Collaborative and all the Foundation’s Workforce Collaboratives here.