Improving the Talent Pipeline to Boost North Carolina Cyber
In the ongoing quest to improve cybersecurity for North Carolina’s government and its residents, Chief Risk Officer Rob Main says a better workforce pipeline would take his agency to the next level.
Public-sector IT leaders regularly cite two issues among their top challenges: cybersecurity and workforce. For North Carolina Chief Risk Officer Rob Main, those go hand in hand.
When we talked to CIOs at the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) Midyear conference in May, not a small number said they wanted to invest more in talent. Whether that’s improving diversity, supporting staff as they move through their careers or hiring beyond the state capital, state tech leaders are looking for innovative ways to strengthen government’s ranks.
Main, who has held his position with North Carolina since last October, envisions creating a robust talent pipeline from the state’s K-12 and higher education sectors. In his reciprocal model, Main would have those students who are supported in cyber training through school then go on to work for the state government in return.
Lauren Kinkade is the managing editor for Government Technology magazine. She has a degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and more than 15 years’ experience in book and magazine publishing.
Noelle Knell is the executive editor for e.Republic, responsible for setting the overall direction for e.Republic’s editorial platforms, including <i>Government Technology</i>, <i>Governing</i>, <i>Industry Insider, Emergency Management</i> and the Center for Digital Education. She has been with e.Republic since 2011, and has decades of writing, editing and leadership experience. A California native, Noelle has worked in both state and local government, and is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, with majors in political science and American history.
