Stephen Graham and Wade Jacobs, IT Specialist Registered Apprentices through CyberWyoming and PDS Manage, graduated from the Department of Labor approved program after eighteen months of study and on-the-job learning.

“PDS provided consistent focus and commitment to continuous learning through Registered Apprenticeship and our clients noticed the difference,” said Timothy Chenoweth, PDS Manage Owner.

Certifications and Career Development

During the apprenticeship term, Jacobs and Graham earned their CompTIA A+ certification and their CompTIA Network+, both respected credentials in the IT industry. Jacobs also passed the CompTIA Project+ and Graham passed the CompTIA Security+ certifications.

“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.”

Employer Investment and Program Benefits

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. Graham and Jacobs are their first graduates of the program. However, upon graduation, they re-enrolled in the Cyber Security Support Technician Registered Apprenticeship to continue upskilling.

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. Chenoweth explained that the shift to apprenticeship represented a bold change for PDS Manage, but the results have exceeded expectations. “It was something I had always envisioned, but PDS’s culture wasn’t ready. Investing in training for 3 months without any billable hours was a heavy lift, but I can tell you it paid off because they hit the ground running and they fit with our culture better,” he said.

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.

CyberWyoming’s Apprenticeship Pathways

CyberWyoming sponsors three Department of Labor approved Registered Apprenticeship programs. The IT Specialist, for entry level professionals, and Cybersecurity Support Technician, for more advanced employees. These apprenticeship training programs were developed in 2017 and 2018 and have now been adopted by other organizations nationwide. The third 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.

Building Wyoming’s Cyber Workforce

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.