Creating Career Pathways for Cyber Professionals

The Federal cyber workplace can feel like a far cry from the always-innovating “sky is the limit” mentality that the technology private sector is known for, but the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Information and Technology (OIT), is well on its way to changing that.

The Federal Government is currently facing a severe shortage of qualified cyber professionals. Specifically, Fiscal Year 2021 saw an average Government-wide attrition rate of 5%. Currently, less than 6% of the Federal cyber workforce is under the age of 30, while more than 30% is 55 or older. A combination of factors, including an aging Federal workforce as well as the rapid shift to remote work in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic, has further perpetuated a cyber talent vacuum in the Federal space where it is most needed.

As the largest Federal health care and benefits provider in the Nation, VA has the second largest information technology (IT) footprint in the Federal Government in OIT, which supports 19 million Veterans who rely on a seamless and secure technological backbone to access the care and services they have earned and deserve. Maintaining such complex and sophisticated technological health care structures requires “recruiting and retaining the most skilled individuals with high-demand cyber expertise,” stresses OIT’s Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology and Chief Information Officer (CIO) Kurt DelBene. Innovating the Federal cyber recruitment and retention processes “is a top priority for both the Office of Information and Technology and industry leaders alike,” he reiterated.

As a committed Federal change agent and for the past 2 years, we have served as Tri-chair of the Federal Cyber Workforce Management and Coordinating Working Group in collaboration with leadership from the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

Together, along with 24 agency partners that consists of over 250 members, the Working Group is continually in pursuit of workforce initiatives that update hiring practices and modernize the Federal hiring system to better attract and retain cyber talent.  

The result of these collaborative efforts is the State of the Federal Cyber Workforce Report. Focused on the personnel required for Federal cyber modernization, the Report sets forth a strategic action plan, outlining 35 high-priority, Federal-wide cyber workforce actions to reduce the talent pipeline gap, increase the quality and diversity of our cyber workforce, and prioritize the personal and professional needs of cyber professionals through a coordinated interagency approach. The Working Group has started to implement the recommended actions to improve mobility and skill portability, transform workforce reporting and data analytics, and position the Federal Government as a competitive employer for incoming and future cyber professionals. 

Our cyber talent management efforts don’t stop there. As a part of OIT, the Office of People Science is committed to educating, training, and skilling the cyber workforce by equipping the current and future VA workforce with the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the changing demands of the evolving cyber landscape. Specifically, in collaboration with interagency partners, we’ve submitted a request to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to approve a Special Salary Rate for Federal technical professionals. We’ve also implemented standby duty pay, a premium pay incentive for Federal employees who work above and beyond their ordinary period of duty.

We are currently spearheading recruitment efforts to attract tech workers who have been impacted by the recent large-scale downsizing of many private IT companies. This includes streamlining the Federal recruitment process by means of developing standard position descriptions for Open Continuous Announcements, decreasing time to hire, and quickly filling critical positions.

Furthermore, efforts such as the Cyber Training Academy, Cyber Career Pathways, Cyber NexGen Program, and VA Cyber Workforce Management policy create a multifaceted approach to defining, engaging, and developing the current and future Federal cyber workforce. For example, the Cyber Training Academy will create an agile and effective cyber workforce equipped to build, secure, operate, protect, and defend Department information systems. In January, OIT was also recognized by the Department of Labor for developing an innovative cybersecurity apprenticeship program, allowing Veterans to “learn while they earn.” This initiative, along with our focus on creating career development tracks, will allow our cyber workforce to grow, expand, and innovate in a supportive environment.

Finally, we continue to attract top cyber talent in the Federal space due to VA’s unique mission to serve a greater purpose. “We have a sacred mission [at] VA which really energizes people, particularly Veterans. We’re over 50% Veteran in the Office of Information and Technology organization,” says Mr. DelBene. “There is a growing need for a highly skilled technology workforce and talent pipeline to support widespread digital transformation throughout the Federal Government.”

Our leadership on the Working Group, as well as mission-driven recruitment and retention efforts from within, demonstrates how we are redefining the Federal cyber workforce for cyber industry job seekers. In so doing, we have established ourselves as the Federal agency at the forefront of Federal cyber talent recruitment and retention efforts, and as an innovative agency aiming to attract a highly skilled and motivated cyber talent workforce in service to Veterans.