In collaboration with host company, COCC, Naugatuck Valley Community College President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D., the faculty and staff convened a summit on Wednesday, March 11, 2015 to discuss the skills and education required by companies who specialize in the field of cybersecurity.

As the College develops an associate degree program in cybersecurity, President De Filippis said it is crucial to get input from employers regarding in-demand training and skills. “How do we articulate this program in such a way that when our students graduate, you will be happy to hire them?” she asked the summit’s employers.

State Senator Joan V. Hartley noted that creating a “cybersecurity jobs pipeline” in Connecticut presents the opportunity to promote economic development and train students in a field in which they are likely to find employment. “What’s the language of the future? Coding,” she said. “If you’re going to be conversant in information technology, it’s about programming and coding.”

Other featured speakers whose career experience positions them as an authority on what students need to know to be job-ready in internet security included Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary, a former police chief; Irene Rios-Knauf, Ed.D., NVCC’s Dean of Academic Affairs; Damian Laviolette, Chief Information Security Officer, Webster Bank; Brian Y. Boyd, Esq., Vice President and Senior Associate Counsel, Webster Bank; David Geick, Director of Security, IT Security Division, State of Connecticut; and William P. Shea, Deputy Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.

With no shortage of headlines about cybersecurity breaches and hacking techniques becoming more advanced, Kevin Hamel, First Vice President, Chief Information Security Officer, COCC, said training students for the jobs of tomorrow is key. “We need to make sure the young generation has a good focus on security, given all the threats that are out there in the world around us today,” he said.

The event was the second summit in a series of seven.  The series focuses on bringing together business and academia in industry sectors including Manufacturing, Information Technology, Bioscience, Energy, Financial Services, Allied Health, and Hospitality to establish a forum for the development of relevant curriculum that serves the needs of the employers in our service area and prepares students to become successful professionals with rewarding careers.