Abstract:

The demand for cybersecurity professionals continues to rise globally and nationally. This demand requires students to be aware of the cybersecurity career field, associated work roles, and required knowledge and skills for those roles. It is critical to expose high school students to authentic experiences in technical career pathways to meet the increasing demand. Traditional classroom instruction often lacks the applied and immersive opportunities necessary to develop a clear understanding of complex technical roles and the human element of jobs. Job shadowing is recognized as an effective bridge between academic learning and professional practice, yet its use in cybersecurity and related technical fields remains challenging due to restrictions for students under 18 years of age. This paper argues for the integration of structured job shadowing experiences in high school programs to address workforce pipeline challenges and to cultivate early interest in cybersecurity careers.

To illustrate this approach, this paper outlines the design and implementation of an applied cybersecurity job shadowing program centered on work roles related to cybersecurity risk and vulnerability assessments. This opportunity introduces students to the knowledge and skills required to complete tasks associated with the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity and Department of Defense (DoD) Cyber Workforce Framework (DCWF) work roles students acquire foundational technical knowledge and practical skills, such as identifying threats and vulnerabilities, assessing risk, and prioritizing mitigations through observation and guided learning. The experience culminates in a hands-on project where students develop a network diagram, scan the network, and conduct a risk assessment of their home networks. By analyzing their household digital environments, students apply learned concepts to real-world systems, enhance their problem-solving abilities, develop research competencies, and generate actionable recommendations. Students develop professional skills and stakeholder engagement by presenting their findings and proposed safeguards to their caregivers and industry professionals. This requirement reinforces the importance of translating technical information to non-technical audiences.

Early exposure to cybersecurity job functions through applied job shadowing enriches student learning and strengthens pathways into high-demand technical careers. The model presented demonstrates how experiential programs can be designed to foster both technical competencies and essential professional skills, ultimately helping students envision themselves as contributors to the nation’s cybersecurity workforce. By aligning experiential learning with national workforce frameworks, the program ensures relevance, rigor, and transferability, offering a replicable model for educators, policymakers, and community stakeholders seeking to prepare the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

Keywords:

Cybersecurity Education, Workforce Development, Experiential Learning, Education Pathways.