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On May 2, 2019, the White House responded to a reported cybersecurity talent shortage with an Executive Order on America’s Cybersecurity Workforce. The administration’s fact sheet said more than 300,000 cybersecurity jobs were vacant in the United States at that time. That was a dated administration estimate, not a current vacancy count.
Why did the White House act on the cybersecurity talent shortage?
The 2019 White House fact sheet described cybersecurity workers as essential to national security, critical infrastructure and the modern economy. It argued that government and private-sector action was needed to grow and sustain the workforce, calling it “a strategic asset to our country.”
The accompanying order stated: “The Nation is experiencing a shortage of cybersecurity talent and capability, and innovative approaches are required to improve access to training that maximizes individuals’ cybersecurity knowledge, skills, and abilities.” Its approach combined federal workforce changes with broader education, training and employer coordination.
How many cybersecurity jobs were unfilled?
| Publication | Date | Reported figure | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|---|
| White House fact sheet accompanying the executive order | May 2, 2019 | More than 300,000 vacancies in America | Historical administration figure; the fact sheet does not provide enough methodology to treat it as a current or independently validated count. |
| National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy resource guide | Updated April 24, 2024 | Over 500,000 open cyber jobs | Later publication with different, unspecified definitions and methodology; it should not be used to calculate growth from 2019. |
The two figures show that federal documents continued to describe a substantial need, but they are not a matched time series. Definitions, data sources and counting methods would have to be the same before any trend could be calculated.
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What did the cybersecurity workforce executive order do?
Created federal rotational assignments
The order directed development of a cybersecurity rotational-assignment program so personnel could move among agencies, share expertise and strengthen day-to-day federal cybersecurity practice.
Used the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework
Agencies were directed to use the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework when defining participant skills, building curricula, expanding learning opportunities and organizing peer mentoring. The order also called for NICE terminology in relevant federal information-technology and cybersecurity contracts and for assessing whether contract personnel had the skills required for their assignments.
Expanded reskilling and aptitude assessment
Federal agencies were instructed to use aptitude assessments to identify existing employees who could acquire cybersecurity skills through reskilling. This addressed the shortage by looking beyond new graduates and considering workers already inside government.
Recognized achievement and education
The order included recognition for cybersecurity achievements, planning for the President’s Cup Cybersecurity Competition and annual Presidential Cybersecurity Education Awards for one elementary educator and one secondary educator.
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Addressed national training and infrastructure needs
Commerce and Homeland Security, working with Education and other agencies, were directed to advance recommendations from an earlier workforce report and consult government, academic and private-sector stakeholders. The work also included identifying skills and training gaps affecting critical infrastructure and defense systems, including cyber-physical systems.
What kinds of training did the order emphasize?
The policy did not prescribe a single credential or course. It called for multiple routes into and through the field:
- New entrants: education and training for people beginning cybersecurity careers.
- Advanced practitioners: continuing development for experienced specialists.
- Work-based learning: practical experience tied to real job duties.
- Apprenticeships: earn-and-learn pathways combining supervised work and instruction.
- Blended learning: combinations of classroom, online and workplace study.
- Reskilling: structured pathways for current employees who can move into cybersecurity roles.
The order’s emphasis on skills frameworks was intended to connect training content with the tasks employers and agencies actually need performed, rather than relying only on course titles or degrees.
How can someone find cybersecurity training or an apprenticeship?
A federal National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy resource guide, updated April 24, 2024, serves as a directory rather than a single program. It lists resources for students, job seekers, incumbent workers and veterans, including:
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- education and training opportunities;
- apprenticeships and other work-based learning;
- scholarships and competitions;
- career exploration and job-search tools; and
- public-service career pathways.
Availability, eligibility, deadlines and geographic coverage can change. Check the current program sponsor before relying on a listing, and confirm whether a pathway is intended for beginners, experienced workers, veterans, students or federal applicants.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened after the 2019 order?
A White House fact sheet dated June 2, 2026 describes separate later directives related to artificial-intelligence cybersecurity. It says those directives call for the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management to identify funding opportunities for advanced AI cybersecurity capabilities and expand federal cybersecurity hiring and placement pathways.
That 2026 material is subsequent policy context. It does not establish that the 2019 order was fully implemented, nor does it provide a current national vacancy count.
What the policy means for employers and applicants
For employers and agencies
- Define roles and required capabilities using a recognized workforce framework.
- Consider apprenticeships, supervised work and blended instruction alongside conventional hiring.
- Assess whether existing employees can be reskilled instead of treating every opening as an external-recruitment problem.
- Measure training against actual critical-infrastructure, defense and operational tasks.
For people entering or changing careers
- Look for pathways that state the job tasks and skill levels they teach.
- Compare classroom-only programs with work-based or apprenticeship options.
- Check eligibility, location, schedule, funding and placement terms directly with the provider.
- Use competitions, scholarships and public-service programs as possible ways to gain evidence of skills and experience.
The central message of the 2019 action was that cybersecurity capacity depends on a pipeline: attracting new workers, developing experienced practitioners and helping current employees transition into needed roles.
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