Resources for IT Learners and Leaders

Government agencies and private organizations face mounting pressure to modernize cyber capabilities while maintaining compliance and building internal workforce resilience. In 2026, HR and workforce leaders have become central to cybersecurity readiness through structured training programs aligned to federal standards. Key Takeaways NIST cybersecurity training refers to workforce education programs aligned to guidance from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, including the Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0 and the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity. The NIST Cybersecurity Framework is a key resource for organizations looking to enhance their security posture and is widely recognized for its role in guiding effective cybersecurity practices across various sectors. HR and L&D now share responsibility with IT for cyber workforce readiness, including role-based training courses, skills mapping, and audit-ready documentation Aligning training to NIST’s core functions

Jess Feldman, content manager for Course Report, met with Edgar Ayala virtually to talk about his experience with a university IT bootcamp. Ayala is a recent alum of UT Arlington’s Cloud Engineering Bootcamp powered by QuickStart (watch the full video here). 

Amazon Web Services, or AWS, is an essential skill for anyone working with cloud. AWS tops Indeed’s list of in-demand tech skills for cloud jobs, followed by Java, Python, Azure, and SQL. This versatile cloud-computing platform offers a variety of certifications for different experience levels. The foundational certification is for 6 months’ experience in AWS, associate is for 1 years’ experience in AWS, and professional is for 2 years’ experience in AWS. Specialty certifications are also available.   

In September 2020, when many schools introduced remote learning due to the pandemic, 80% of the 1.1 million people who left the workforce were women. Now that schools are opening their doors, mothers are returning to the workforce.  The IRS will begin the monthly Child Tax Credit payments in July, making it a well-timed government program for moms furthering their careers. Eligible families will receive monthly payments for each child seventeen and under (for more information, please visit https://rb.gy/7dsdzz or https://rb.gy/7aszhy).