Blue Ridge Community College gets $200,000 grant for cyber security program

Delegate Steve Landes announced this week that GO Virginia has approved $200,000 in funding for Region 8 to Blue Ridge Community College.

Delegate Landes voted in favor of the funding approved for Region 8, as well as $249,472 in funding approved for Piedmont Virginia Community College in Region 9.

"The goal of our grant is to bring over 50 high tech, high paid cyber security jobs to the Valley within the next two years," said, Marlena Jarboe, Academic Dean for Blue Ridge Community College.

The proposed project will implement a new cyber security workforce development program through BRCC focused on bringing cyber security jobs to the Shenandoah Valley. The project aims to spur regional growth in the high-wage cyber, security industry through the implementation of a new self-paced, non-credit training course.

"We've been hearing that a lot of students will leave the area because they're not able to find cyber security jobs and they'll go to cities where their cost of living is higher so this grant will provide opportunities to stay in the Valley," said Dean.

The project will produce new industry credentials (CompTIA Security+) that are not currently offered in the region. GO Virginia Funds will be used for training, software, program coordination, and administration.

The cities of Harrisonburg and Waynesboro provided the local match for this project.