Secure Your Future, Strengthen Your Community

Career Pathways and Mentorship for Tribal Members and Employees 

The demand for cybersecurity professionals is growing faster than ever. This program is designed to help you navigate this landscape, gain the skills you need, and step into a role of stewardship that protects tribal sovereignty and your community.

About the mentorship program

In partnership with the tribes, the program supports a career pathways and mentorship program for tribal members interested in increasing their skills or pursuing careers in cybersecurity. Mentors will be selected by the tribe and assist participants in navigating educational opportunities and professional journeys.


Why Mentorship?

The path to a career in cybersecurity can feel complex. This program pairs you with mentors from your own tribe or organization to provide a culturally grounded, expert-led roadmap to success. By sharing knowledge and experience, we ensure that tribal members are the ones leading the way in securing our digital borders.


Chart Your Course in Cybersecurity

Our career pathway advising is built on the industry-standard NICE Framework—a tool to help you translate your talents into the cybersecurity field. Your mentor will help you move from curiosity to career-ready by:

  • Identifying Your Path: Pinpointing specific job roles that align with your interests and strengths.
  • Mastering the Essentials: Understanding the specific Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) required to protect tribal infrastructure.
  • Building Your Roadmap: Selecting the right training, certifications, and professional development to maximize capacity for your community.
  • Community Capacity: Gaining skills that stay within the tribal community, building long-term digital sovereignty.

Register for Mentorship: https://forms.gle/XL3PSnSvGK3LqiTr8


Become a Mentor

Are you an IT professional or a leader within your tribe? Help support the next generation of tribal cybersecurity experts. As a mentor, you will walk alongside participants through their educational journeys and help them navigate career milestones.

  • Support Provided: You won’t do it alone. You’ll receive full training, onboarding, and ongoing support from PSU staff and partners like Cisco.
  • Impact: Directly contribute to the capacity-building, resilience, and security of your tribal community.

Apply to be a Mentor: https://forms.gle/nBbGAoJwsmmXDa3W9

Who is eligible

These scholarships are for tribal members and employees of the nine federally recognized tribes in Oregon.

About Cybersecurity Education for Tribes Programs

Portland State University has received a grant to build pathways to cybersecurity careers for Oregon’s Nine Federally Recognized Tribes. This program will offer a series of connected trainings and a mentor to facilitate education and job growth for tribal members, at no cost to tribes. For more information, please see our general programs website, our Frequently Asked Questions page, or check out this Recording of the Oregon Tribal Cybersecurity Summit!

Tribal Cybersecurity Education Programs (https://www.pdx.edu/hatfield-school/tribal-cybersecurity-education)

Introduction to Cybersecurity (https://www.pdx.edu/hatfield-school/introduction-to-cybersecurity-seminar-for-tribes)

Certificate in Building Tribal Cyber Resilience (pdx.edu/hatfield-school/certificate-building-tribal-cyber-resilience)

Frequent Asked Questions (https://www.pdx.edu/hatfield-school/tribal-cybersecurity-education-frequently-asked-questions)

Oregon Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (https://www.occoe.org/)

Contact

If you have any questions about this program or would like more information, please contact Sullivan at suswift@pdx.edu.
 

logos and seals for PSU CCD, OCCoE, CAE