PPSC receives $300,000 to enhance Cybersecurity program

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(COLORADO SPRINGS) —Pikes Peak State College (PPSC) has been awarded $300,000 in state funding to bolster its successful Cybersecurity program.

The funding was approved by the Colorado General Assembly to advance education and workforce development in the critical field of cybersecurity. The funding builds upon the foundation laid by Senate Bill 18-086, which initially earmarked 1.5 million to establish and expand PPSC’s cybersecurity training initiative in collaboration with local partners.

“We have dramatically grown the program, and a key part around pipeline-building is that approximately 10 percent of our students are Concurrent Enrollment students,” said President of PPSC, Lance Bolton. “We’re giving opportunities to high school students to engage in a career that they can really build on.”

In the past five years, PPSC has doubled cybersecurity course enrollment, awarded 82 cybersecurity credentials, and extended $30,000 in scholarships for cyber students. Overall, Cybersecurity graduates have earned $17 million over the past five years and boast an average salary of $65,000. Around 670 students are enrolled in cybersecurity and computer science programs at PPSC.

“Thanks to state support, PPSC has been able to modernize classroom technology, recruit top-tier faculty, and forge dynamic partnerships with industry stakeholders,” said Program Director of PPSC’s cybersecurity programs Mike Krakow. “Our focus on delivering real-world experiences to students has been particularly instrumental. We sent 24 students to Project Pisces at the National Cybersecurity Center, which partners with local small businesses that wouldn’t necessarily have a cyber position. The students go through a whole day of training and then put their training into action by scouring logbooks, identifying issues, and reporting those breaches. This real-world experience gives them an edge upon entering the workforce.”