 Exploitation Rescue Operation (HERO) Child-Rescue Corps Program,113 which recruits and trains veterans to be digital forensic analysts. In addition to providing paid internships to current students, the federal government must seek to attract recent college graduates to government service. One example is the U.S. Digital Corps, launched in August 2021 and operated by the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Technology Transformation Services.114 The U.S. Digital Corps has attracted qualified, diverse, early career talent to government service. Another example is the Cyber Fellowship program established at the Department of Justice.115 This three-year program provides selected attorneys experience in combatting emerging national security and criminal cyber threats, as they rotate through multiple department components. Registered apprenticeships are another valuable mechanism for growing the federal cyber workforce. Existing programs can serve as models, including the DoD’s United Services Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP), in existence since 1999.116 In January 2022, USMAP established the first and largest cybersecurity registered apprenticeship program in the federal government, with 15 approved occupational tracks. A civilian-focused model can be found in the VA, which recently designed and established the first civilian federal cybersecurity registered apprenticeship program, and will bring on its initial cohorts in 2023. Reskilling or upskilling enables departments and agencies to take advantage of existing human capital investments, as military veterans and federal civilian employees already have professional training, experience, and mission knowledge and understanding. They may also possess security clearances, making onboarding more efficient. One opportunity is provided by the DoD SkillBridge Program.117 As 200,000 service members transition out of uniform each year, this program enables them to gain valuable civilian work experience during their last 180 days of service. This time could be spent exploring opportunities to serve as a civilian in the federal cyber workforce. Additional potential reskilling or upskilling opportunities include the Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) 118 and Veteran Readiness and Employment (VRE),119 two programs administered by the VA. VET TEC matches veterans with approved training providers to help develop high-tech skills, while VRE helps veterans with service-connected disabilities explore employment options and address education or training needs. As the federal government increases the use of skills-based assessments in cyber workforce hiring, position descriptions developed using the NICE Framework provide a strong starting point issuing job announcements that focus on needed skills and do not overstate credential requirements. This is an area in which the federal government can continue to lead by example, as one study found that 46% of federal cybersecurity jobs were open to applicants without a bachelor’s degree, compared to only 20% of cybersecurity jobs in the private sector.120 Department and agency collaboration on cyber hiring strategies will lead to efficiencies and economies of scale. For example, OPM recently coordinated a hiring action for data analysts in which candidates were assessed by subject matter experts in the field. Over 100 candidates received NATIONAL CYBER WORKFORCE AND EDUCATION STRATEGY 36