Austin Banks, IT Specialist Registered Apprentice through CyberWyoming and PDS Manage, graduated from the Department of Labor approved program after nineteen months of study and on-the-job learning.

The IT Specialist Registered Apprenticeship encourages mastery through five job functions. The job functions focus on the setup and support of user devices, networks, and servers, while providing troubleshooting, maintaining access controls, and monitoring security in line with client company policies. Each apprentice in the CyberWyoming program is also required to attend soft skills training monthly.

“One thing specifically that I found to be helpful during our course was learning about how to communicate with different generations. Such as terms or words that may trigger one group but may be interesting for another. This has helped me as a tech to identify the audience I am working with and know how to communicate with them. One client may want or need cold hard facts, and that’s it. Another may need more small talk in order for them to feel connected to you and the issue. There is a fine line between these two and learning about generations and their communication skills has greatly helped,” said Banks.

Building IT Talent Through Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship programs build a company’s pipeline of talent, allowing for succession planning and increasing team depth. PDS Manage’s Registered Apprenticeship program has proven to be an exceptional long-term investment.

Employer Investment Delivers Results

Timothy Chenoweth, PDS Manage Owner, explained that the shift to apprenticeship represented a bold change for PDS Manage, but the results have exceeded expectations.

“Apprenticeship programs build a company’s talent pipeline, enabling succession planning and deeper team bench strength. PDS Manage’s Registered Apprenticeship program has proven to be an exceptional long-term investment. Chenoweth described the move to apprenticeship as a bold change for PDS, and the results have outpaced what we expected. “The payoff from this program has been undeniable. Our current apprentices took to the training quickly and have progressed at a much faster pace than previous groups. I attribute that to the quality of the training, both from Cyber Wyoming and the work we do in house,” he said.

A Career Pathway Beyond Traditional Education

Registered Apprenticeship certificates are considered the equivalent of a post-secondary degree.

“We think of apprenticeship as dual-credit for the apprentice,” said Laura Baker, CyberWyoming Executive Director. “They get to work on their industry and vendor specific certifications while also getting credit through the apprenticeship.”

There are over 1100 job openings related to cybersecurity in Wyoming, according to Cyberseek.org. PDS Manage supports multiple organizations in several communities throughout the State. Banks represents the second cohort PDS has put through the program. Upon graduation, Banks intends to re-enroll in another technical apprenticeship program to continue to learn and grow.

Expanding Technical Apprenticeships 

CyberWyoming sponsors four Department of Labor approved Registered Apprenticeship programs. The IT Specialist, for entry level professionals, the Cybersecurity Support Technician, for more advanced employees, and the IT Manager for those that will be team leads or help desk managers. The IT Specialist and Cybersecurity Support Technician apprenticeship training programs were developed in 2017 and 2018 and have now been adopted by other organizations nationwide. The IT Manager Registered Apprenticeship program was recently added by CyberWyoming at the request of PDS Manage. The fourth Registered Apprenticeship program, the Cybersecurity Business Counselor (CBC) occupation, was developed in 2023 to help business advisors upskill and incorporate cybersecurity into their day to day advising strategies. The CBC program remains proprietary to CyberWyoming.

“Registered apprenticeship isn’t just for plumbing, welding, and electrical anymore. In our digitally connected age, it must include technical professions, business, and cybersecurity,” said Laura Baker, CyberWyoming Executive Director, a statewide nonprofit organization based in Laramie.

The CyberWyoming technical Registered Apprenticeship programs are free for any employer willing to technically mentor a new professional. As a part of the program, CyberWyoming requires each apprentice to undergo soft skills training on such topics as strategic planning for tech to conflict management and more.

“Today’s technology apprentices are tomorrow’s IT managers,” said Baker. She went on to explain that statistically employers benefit from apprenticeship with increased employee engagement, better trained employees, and higher retention levels.

Other apprenticeship benefits include additional training grants and scholarships as well as a Department of Labor certificate upon completion of the program.