 literacy, and digital resilience—that prepare today’s learners for the workforce and enable full access to the digital resources in our interconnected society. G UIDING I MPERATIVES The three imperatives discussed below guide the work that must be done. By focusing on these imperatives, stakeholders in academia and the public and private sectors will advance American prosperity and cybersecurity while better enabling all Americans to embrace cyberspace as a source of opportunity. L EVERAGE A DAPTABLE E COSYSTEMS TO E FFECT C HAN GE AT S CALE No individual stakeholder can address the growing cyber workforce demands at scale. Vigorous collaboration among education, labor, and commercial stakeholders is essential to success. Further development of robust cyber education and workforce development ecosystems must prepare workers to thrive in the digital environment. A model cyber education and workforce development ecosystem15 should include the following elements: • • • • • • • Diverse stakeholders;16 Multisector partners;17 Strategies and Long-term plans;18 Career opportunities;19 Continuous assessment;20 Widespread communication;21 and Experiential learning.22 The ecosystem approach reflects the Department of Commerce’s best practices and principles for highly effective workforce investments, including the provision of wraparound services to vulnerable populations, the prioritization of earn and learn models, and other approaches that create the conditions for economic growth and opportunity for all communities. It also supports the BidenHarris Administration’s emphasis on building quality partnerships, encouraging industry investments in workforce development, and supporting workers’ voice. These areas of emphasis will further help reduce barriers, provide pathways into high-demand jobs, and enable ongoing adaptation as technological innovations continue to shape the demand for cyber workforce skills in the future. 23 Ecosystems may operate in varied geographic areas, including locally, within a state, regionally, across the country, or globally.24 As cyber education and workforce development ecosystems mature, stakeholders may identify and overcome systemic barriers to positive change. Such barriers could include persistent disadvantages NATIONAL CYBER WORKFORCE AND EDUCATION STRATEGY 4