TSTC Cybersecurity program training students for quality careers

(WACO, Texas) – The week of Oct. 17 is Cybersecurity Career Awareness Week, a time for people to learn about the career possibilities existing in the fast-changing field.

Texas State Technical College offers the Cybersecurity program in a hybrid format at the East Williamson County, Fort Bend County, Harlingen, Marshall and North Texas campuses. The program is also offered in an all-online format.

“The most important skill students should have is a burning desire to be the best they can be and always excel for excellence,” said Keith Kooyman, statewide online lead instructor in TSTC’s Cybersecurity program. “Everything else can be taught, but if a student does not have a desire to learn and excel, they will not be successful.”

Texas workers in the computer field have a median yearly salary of more than $84,000, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s CareerOneStop website.

“Job prospects are excellent across the state, but the majority of cyber jobs are located in larger metro areas like Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio,” Kooyman said. “Texas is a technical state and has many great jobs for our graduates. Similar markets, like Waco, have cyber jobs, but in smaller numbers than what are found in larger markets.”

Indeed.com had about 490 cybersecurity-related job openings posted in Texas in the last two weeks.

“An applicant should consider whether or not the employer is a good fit for them, just like the employer is considering if the applicant is a good fit,” Kooyman said. “Applicants should consider if they would be successful and have opportunities for growth with an employer.”

The Labor department’s CareerOneStop website includes cybersecurity in data for all computer occupations. The United States will need 483,000 workers in 2030. Texas will need more than 37,000 computer-related workers by 2030.

TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Cybersecurity, two certificates of completion in Cybersecurity, an advanced technology certificate in Digital Forensics Specialist, and occupational skills achievement awards in Advanced Cybersecurity, Intro Cybersecurity and Inter Cybersecurity.

For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.