Creating a Stronger Cyber Talent Pipeline: Workcred and the Cyber Ready Professional Consortium Release Accreditation Model for Cybersecurity Competency Based Community Clinics

NEW YORK, Jan. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- To address the cybersecurity skills gap and support national workforce needs, Workcred, in partnership with the Cyber Ready Professional Consortium (formerly the National CyberWatch Center), has developed an accreditation model that evaluates the skills of learners and the effectiveness of community cybersecurity clinics. The Accreditation Model for Cybersecurity Competency Based Community Clinics assesses specific learner competencies—technical, managerial, and employability skills—and a clinic's effectiveness in preparing a workforce-ready cybersecurity talent pipeline.

The Challenge: Finding Employable Cybersecurity Talent
Despite growing demand for cybersecurity professionals to protect the nation's infrastructure, many cybersecurity jobs remain unfulfilled. A 2024 ISC2 report reveals a critical mismatch: global economic conditions are creating cybersecurity workforce shortages and skills gaps precisely when demand is at an all-time high, driven by accelerating technology and AI adoption. To make matters worse, this talent shortage proves costly: a 2024 IBM report found that the cybersecurity skills gap contributed to a USD 1.76 million increase in average breach costs.

A Solution: Cybersecurity Clinics Supported by an Industry-Informed Accreditation Model
Community cybersecurity clinics provide developing cyber professionals hands-on experience while serving their communities. However, without consistent standards, these programs risk falling short of delivering the workforce-ready talent. To address this gap, the accreditation model for cybersecurity clinics was developed with input from regional cybersecurity summits, existing literature, and peer review insights. The model targets community-based clinics operated by non-profit or for-profit organizations, excluding those housed within colleges or universities.

The model assures that clinics prepare practice-ready professionals by aligning training with job requirements and national frameworks that meet standards, including:

• the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-171, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Systems and Organizations;
• NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity, a nationally focused resource to help employers develop their cybersecurity workforce; and
• the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), which provides guidance on how cybersecurity contractors can protect unclassified data.

Clinics adopting this accreditation model will deliver consistent, high-quality work-based learning experiences while providing reliable services to schools, local governments, nonprofits, and local businesses.

"We're proud of our partnership to create an accreditation model that validates both learner readiness and clinic quality," said Dr. Roy Swift, executive director, Workcred. "Successfully expanding this model depends on strong engagement from educators, industry, policymakers, and communities. We're excited to share this model as we engage with these stakeholders nationwide."

"Accreditation granted based on valid, reliable, and generalizable evidence of minimally acceptable rates of learner proficiency, competency, or mastery is long overdue," said Dr. David H. Tobey, executive director of the Cyber Ready Professional Consortium. "Today, only 24 percent of students enrolled in postsecondary cybersecurity certificate and degree programs attain the terminal credential. Half or more of those who graduate lack the competence to meet the requirements to enter the cyber workforce. Clinical education applying mastery learning instructional design promises to address the deficiencies in workforce readiness and the accreditation model developed by Workcred will ensure accountability for clinical learning and performance outcomes."

Get Involved
The model will continue to evolve with feedback from the broader cybersecurity community. Organizations, educators, and industry partners interested in further shaping this model or exploring ways to implement it can contact [email protected]. 

About Cyber Ready Professional Consortium
The Cyber Ready Professional Consortium is a national association of higher education institutions, businesses, government agencies focused on collaborative efforts to advance the capability maturity of the cybersecurity workforce by ensuring that all seeking entry into this profession are ready to learn, ready to become certified, and ready to advance throughout their career. For more information, visit www.nationalcyberwatch.org.

About Workcred
Workcred, an affiliate of ANSI, is a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening workforce quality by improving the credentialing system. Workcred's vision is a labor market that relies on the relevance, quality, and value of workforce credentials for opportunities, growth, and development. Visit www.workcred.org for more information.

About ANSI
ANSI is a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance both the global competitiveness of U.S. business and the U.S. quality of life by promoting and facilitating voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment systems, and safeguarding their integrity. ANSI is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). For more information, visit www.ansi.org.

SOURCE Workcred