CARSON CITY, Nev. – Nevada students will have more opportunities to prepare for the jobs of the future thanks to approval by the State Board of Education of two new career and technical education programs. Cybersecurity and Military Science will be available to school districts in the 2018-2019 school year. This is a step to ensure that school districts in Nevada offer courses that align with the most sought after jobs.

Nevada is embarking on a statewide effort to prioritize career readiness for high school students. As a part of the New Skills for Youth grant from JP Morgan Chase, Nevada was one of the 10 states selected in 2016 to receive a $2 million grant to strengthen career focused education in high schools and postsecondary institutions.

"Students today have more diverse career opportunities than ever before," Dawn Burns, chief strategy officer for New Skills for Youth, said. "By 2020, 64 percent of new jobs will require more than a high school diploma. Yet only half of these jobs will require a four-year college degree. To prepare students, Nevada is investing in improving and expanding career pathways, increasing opportunities for student internships and apprenticeships, developing teacher externships and creating resources to connect curriculum with real-world applications."

Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs are designed to equip students with the skills necessary for high-demand jobs that offer living wages in Nevada. Completing the Cybersecurity program coursework includes fundamentals in computer forensics and cybersecurity lifecycle and provides opportunities to achieve the following industry credentials: IT certification exams such as CompTIA’s A+ and Networking +.

"The need for cybersecurity professionals is growing in Nevada, both in state government and in the private sector,” said Brian Mitchell, Director of the Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation and Technology (OSIT). “In Nevada, the projected growth rate in the number of jobs requiring cybersecurity skills through 2022 is 30 percent. These jobs have an average wage of about $85,000.”
The Nevada Department of Education now recognizes the program of study in Military Science through JROTC as a CTE program. The Military Science program follows the requirements of the Department of Defense, and will cover topics on leadership, personal growth, communication, core values, and citizenship.

Additionally, there is an Automation Technology CTE program in development that integrates mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and robotic systems; programmable logic controllers; and principles of automation as applied in multiple industries. The Nevada Department of Education anticipates Automation Technology CTE will be available in 2019.

Information on these and all CTE programs can be found in the 2018-19 Nevada Career and Technical Education Course Catalog at http://www.doe.nv.gov/cte/. Information on growing in-demand careers in Nevada can be found at http://gov.nv.gov/OWINN/InDemandOccupation.