Okta Launches Cybersecurity Workforce Development Initiative to Help Close the Tech and Cybersecurity Skills Gap
04 Octubre 2023 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
New philanthropic and educational grants aim to
advance inclusive pathways into tech and cyber industries
Okta, Inc. (NASDAQ:OKTA), the leading independent identity
partner, today announced the launch of a new initiative focused on
finding and developing the best cybersecurity talent and providing
equitable access to thriving careers in technology. Okta is
committed to investing in two key areas, the first being $1.6
million in philanthropic grants out of the Okta for Good Fund, a
donor-advised fund held at Tides Foundation, for organizations
around the globe providing tech career opportunities for women,
people of color, veterans and other jobseekers from
underrepresented communities. The second is made up of 5,000
educational grants to unemployed professionals looking to make a
career transition to cybersecurity by growing their Okta skills.
The program focuses on veterans, military spouses, and tech workers
impacted by recent lay-offs.
Despite the continued increase in cyber threat activity, the gap
in cybersecurity talent continues to grow. The 2022 (ISC)2
Cybersecurity Workforce Study identified a 3.4 million worldwide
cybersecurity worker gap, with additional research indicating the
broader tech talent gap at 40 million. The current economic climate
makes it even more difficult for those looking to enter or make a
career transition into tech or cyber. These career opportunities
are also disproportionately out of reach for jobseekers from
underrepresented communities. Okta’s philanthropic and educational
grants further extend the company’s reach into communities around
the world and help ensure the support of underrepresented
communities’ access to the critical areas of cybersecurity and
technical training. Okta’s commitment in this area also aligns to
the White House’s National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy
(NCWES), a comprehensive initiative aimed at addressing both
immediate and long-term cyber workforce needs, which the White
House declares a national security imperative.
“The world urgently needs many more skilled cybersecurity
professionals. And we have jobseekers who would value those
careers, but need to take action to develop the required skills,”
said Eric Kelleher, Okta’s Chief Customer Officer. “At Okta, we are
pleased to be in the unique position to make this connection.
Okta’s Cybersecurity Workforce Development Initiative contributes
to the future workforce and provides opportunities to a new,
diverse, and highly-capable pool of talent.”
Philanthropic Grants
Okta for Good’s $1.6 million philanthropic grant is part of the
company’s growing portfolio of grantee partnerships with
organizations focused on inclusive pathways into technology. The
funds will be distributed to organizations including Ada Developer
Academy, CodePath, ColorStack, Develop for Good, The Hidden Genius
Project, NPower, Per Scholas, Techbridge Girls and Genesys Works,
WiCys (Women in Cybersecurity), and Year Up.
“Year Up’s longstanding partnership with Okta has enabled young
people without four-year college degrees to launch meaningful
careers in technology since 2017. Their continued support has
helped us in our mission to close the Opportunity Divide for
untapped talent, including through funding for our proven program,
hands-on internship experience for Year Up students, and networking
opportunities for our young adults through their annual Tech
Pathways Week,” said Gerald Chertavian, Year Up Founder and CEO.
“With the skills-first hiring movement on the rise, now is the time
for employers to collaborate with workforce development programs to
ensure they can recruit the talent they need to drive growth and
innovation. Okta’s initiative and focus on IT and cyber security
will increase the pool of skilled, diverse, career-ready talent
across the country, and help advance more equitable access to
economic opportunity.”
Educational Grants
Okta’s 5,000 educational grants go to professionals in career
transition and provide access to Okta’s learning catalog, practice
exams, and the Okta certification exam, and target individuals
recently displaced from a technology career, including veterans and
their spouses. Individuals seeking careers in tech or cybersecurity
can acquire the skills and confidence they need to secure a job by
earning technical certifications. According to Pearson VUE’s 2023
Value of IT Certification Report, 92% of certified people reported
confidence in their abilities to do their job and 82% of them
produce higher quality work. In addition, Okta Certifications are
some of the highest paying IT certifications in the industry. IT
certifications can help job seekers stand out in a competitive
marketplace and provide specialized expertise to support Okta’s
growing network of customers and partners, while helping to close
the cybersecurity talent gap. Grant recipients must reside in the
US and have on-the-job experience working in information technology
or software development.
Cybersecurity is increasingly critical for organizations in
every industry and we’re committed to doing our part to ensure
every organization can secure the talent they need to protect their
customer and employee data. To learn more about Okta for Good and
its work to help close the tech and cybersecurity skills gap, visit
our website here.
About Okta
Okta is the World’s Identity Company. As the leading independent
Identity partner, we free everyone to safely use any
technology—anywhere, on any device or app. The most trusted brands
trust Okta to enable secure access, authentication, and automation.
With flexibility and neutrality at the core of our Okta Workforce
Identity and Customer Identity Clouds, business leaders and
developers can focus on innovation and accelerate digital
transformation, thanks to customizable solutions and more than
7,000 pre-built integrations. We’re building a world where Identity
belongs to you. Learn more at okta.com.
Okta uses its investor.okta.com and okta.com/blog websites as a
means of disclosing material non-public information, announcing
upcoming investor conferences and for complying with its disclosure
obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, you should monitor
our investor relations and okta.com/blog websites in addition to
following our press releases, SEC filings and public conference
calls and webcasts.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231004447558/en/
Laura Szatkowski press@okta.com
Okta (NASDAQ:OKTA)
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