Pentagon opens application window for paid cyber apprenticeships
The Pentagon’s latest push to bolster the civilian cyber workforce is officially underway with the opening of the application window for paid apprenticeships at the Defense Department.
The pilot program, which is being spearheaded by the DOD Office of the Chief Information Officer, is specifically designed for individuals who don’t have degrees or professional experience in cyber-related fields but have the desire and aptitude to acquire digital skills.
The initiative comes as the Pentagon faces challenges competing with the private sector to hire established cyber experts.
“To maintain our decisive advantage and support the warfighter on the modern battlefield, the Department of War must recruit differently,” DOD CIO Kirsten Davies said in a statement released this week, using a secondary name preferred by the Trump administration to refer to the Department of Defense.
“President [Donald] Trump and Department of War Secretary [Pete] Hegseth have issued a clear mandate to advance skills-based hiring. This program bypasses traditional academic gatekeeping to value what truly matters: raw aptitude, patriotic drive, and hands-on capability over traditional academic credentials. By unlocking this untapped potential, we are actively forging America’s elite cyber workforce of the future from the ground up,” Davies added.
The Pentagon did not disclose how many people it plans to hire via the Cyber Apprenticeship Program, also known as Cyber RAP.
Applications for 12-month, full-time cyber apprenticeships are being accepted via an online portal. The annual salary for the positions is $22,584, according to a listing on the USAJOBS website. Participants may hold other jobs outside the department if they don’t overlap with DOD work duty hours, according to the program’s website.
“Apprentices will receive rigorous, competency-based education that blends online learning, immersive hands-on labs, and on-the-job training under the guidance of senior DoW mentors. Successful completion provides industry-recognized certifications and direct pathways into high-demand DoW civilian cyber roles, such as Cyber Defense Analysts and Incident Responders. These professionals will be on the front lines, ensuring the cybersecurity of DoW operations and the broader Defense Industrial Base (DIB),” officials wrote in a press release.
Security operations, network defense, “ethical hacking,” and the application of AI to cyber threat analysis are examples of areas where participants may gain practical know-how, according to the program’s website.
The roles are only open to U.S. citizens who are over 18 years of age and capable of obtaining and maintaining a government security clearance.
“Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution,” states the listing on USAJOBS.
The department is interested in applicants who demonstrate a strong work ethic; eagerness and aptitude to learn complex material quickly; analytical and problem-solving capabilities; the willingness to be “mobile and flexible” to a variety of work experiences; and a commitment to work within the DOD, according to the program’s website.
The application window is set to close July 17. The job posting did not provide an expected start date for those selected for the program.
Participants who are unable to complete their apprenticeships will be required to pay back the government for the training they received unless they are granted a waiver under specific circumstances, such as personal or family illness, or severe financial hardship, according to the program’s website, which did not state how much money those who drop out would owe Uncle Sam.
