Mind the ‘Skills’ Gap: Apprenticeships and Training Programs - Testimony by Tim Herbert - June 4, 2019

Q: What does the testimony say about technology’s role in the digital economy?

It states that technology increasingly shapes the economy, workforce, and daily life, making the environment more digital, connected, and infused with intelligent systems.

Q: How do small and medium-size businesses prioritize technology?

It explains that SMBs account for most business entities and that many report technology as a primary factor in pursuing business objectives, driving substantial annual technology spending.

Q: How is the cybersecurity skills gap defined and why is it urgent?

The testimony defines the skills gap as the variance between what employers desire and what workers can or choose to deliver. It emphasizes that cybersecurity expertise and experience shortfalls are especially risky for SMBs and that the problem covers technical and people/process aspects.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Dozel

Testimony by Tim Herbert of CompTIA to the U.S. House Committee on Small Business argues that technology is reshaping the digital economy and that small and medium-size businesses increasingly rely on tech investment. It explains how expanded connectivity raises cybersecurity threats and accelerates a persistent cybersecurity skills gap. The testimony frames the skills gap as differences between employer expectations and worker capabilities, spanning both technical and people/process competencies. It highlights how data security is the most pressing domain and how shortcomings hinder modernization for organizations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction: The Transition to the Digital Economy

Small and Medium-Size Businesses Place a High Priority on Technology

Businesses Contend with the New Normal of Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity Skills Gap Is Especially Problematic

United States House of Representatives Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Innovation and Workforce Development “Mind the ‘Skills’ Gap: Apprenticeships and Training Programs” Testimony by Tim Herbert, Senior Vice President, CompTIA June 4, 2019 Introduction: The Transition to the Digital Economy Chairman Crow and Ranking Member Balderson, on behalf of the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), thank you for having me here today. By just about every measure, technology continues to shape the world around us in ever more profound and sometimes unexpected ways. Driven by waves of innovation over the years, our economy, our workforce, and our day-to-day lives are more digital, more connected, and increasingly, infused with more intelligent technology. Against this backdrop, CompTIA works with companies, academia, workforce development groups, government and more to understand and influence the forces shaping the information technology industry, its workforce, and its business models. CompTIA is the leading voice and advocate for the $1.6 trillion U.S. information technology ecosystem, and the more than 11.5 million American information technology (IT) professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world’s economy.1 Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, market research and membership programs, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce. Since its founding, CompTIA has been at the forefront of credentials, training, professional development, growing, and diversifying the tech workforce. CompTIA is the global leader in vendor-neutral IT certifications having issued more than 2.7 million certifications to tech professionals around the world. CompTIA certifications serve as the bedrock for those working fields such as IT support, network engineering, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and more. Small and Medium-Size Businesses Place a High Priority on Technology Small businesses are commonly described as the lifeblood of the U.S. economy. This is not hyperbole as SMBs (small and medium-size businesses) account for the vast majority of the nation’s business entities, while serving as a key accelerator of job growth and entrepreneurial vitality. Two-thirds of SMBs indicate technology is now a primary factor in pursuing their business objectives2 . This prioritization translates to investment, as seen in the estimated $186 1 CompTIA Cyberstates, 2019 2 CompTIA Tech Trends Among Small and Medium-Size Businesses study, 2019 \# \# \R Ab􀀜􀀚 <􀀜3􀀜 EO aV W\Ub ]\􀀚 21 􀀞􀀞􀀞 eee􀀜Q][^bWO􀀜]`U billion spent annually on technology by U.S. SMBs3. In many ways, technology has never been more accessible. The emergence of cloud computing and ’as-a-service’ delivery models now put enterprise-level technology in the hands of the smallest of businesses, helping them to operate more efficiently, tap into new customers, and compete against larger rivals. Businesses Contend with the New Normal of Cybersecurity At one time, cyberattacks were just a backend “IT problem” that featured such nuisances as defaced websites, occasional viruses that made the lives of IT workers miserable, or the odd hacked e-mail account or two. Conditions have changed dramatically in recent years. As noted previously, an already interconnected digital economy – which will become even more connected with the proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT) and other emerging technologies, means the security arms race will continue in perpetuity. As CompTIA research suggests, cybersecurity issues have grown in size and scope, becoming more sophisticated, harder to detect and more widespread4. Beyond profit-seeking hackers, attacks aimed at the pillars of society – government agencies, critical infrastructure, financial systems, and voting systems, threaten the underpinnings our democratic processes and society. Cybersecurity Skills Gap Is

FAQs

What does the testimony say about technology’s role in the digital economy?

It states that technology increasingly shapes the economy, workforce, and daily life, making the environment more digital, connected, and infused with intelligent systems.

How do small and medium-size businesses prioritize technology?

It explains that SMBs account for most business entities and that many report technology as a primary factor in pursuing business objectives, driving substantial annual technology spending.

How is the cybersecurity skills gap defined and why is it urgent?

The testimony defines the skills gap as the variance between what employers desire and what workers can or choose to deliver. It emphasizes that cybersecurity expertise and experience shortfalls are especially risky for SMBs and that the problem covers technical and people/process aspects.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Dozel