(US and Canada) The Washington Center (TWC) has launched its Cybersecurity Accelerator Program, a paid and hybrid ‘micro-internship’ designed to build access and opportunity for historically marginalized learners in the cybersecurity sector.

This is the first pilot program from TWC’s Innovation Institute, where TWC will explore and act on ways of building access, equity and opportunity into growth industries, while overcoming barriers of cost, location, and representation.

The U.S. cybersecurity workforce increased by 30% in 2021, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimating a 30% jump in the need for Informational Security Analysts by 2030.

As per the official TWC update, the Cybersecurity Accelerator Program compresses a 360-degree career-connected experience into a 5-6 week paid “micro-internship,” including training, hands-on work, mentorship, in-person networking, and even a certificate via The Cyber Guild.

“TWC is focused on creating flexible, stackable, and accessible experiential-learning programs that break the traditional internship model. Our goal is to allow learners who might otherwise not be able, a chance at the experiences and connections that create pathways to careers,” says Kim Churches, President of The Washington Center.

“By focusing our first micro-internship in cybersecurity, we are creating a solution for both learners and employers. Not only is the well-documented need for talent a national security issue, but this field also needs people from diverse, non-traditional backgrounds, offering women, people of color, those with neurodiversity and alternative education journeys a chance at high-paying and rewarding jobs and careers,” Churches adds.

The program provides roles in technical jobs, such as networking or coding, as well as non-technical jobs like policy, ethics, and marketing. To help increase diversity and representation in the industry, students attending Minority Serving Institutions (MSI), such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU), are encouraged to apply. Program participants will receive a financial stipend for work completed and a certificate to be used in future job searches.