Renton — Renton Technical College faculty described a new cybersecurity analyst pathway designed to give nontraditional students and career changers hands‑on lab experience, preparation for industry certifications, and connections to local employers.

"Our cybersecurity program focuses on new students or students who want older students or students changing careers that want to enter the cybersecurity world," Warren Takata, dean of workforce, said. The program offers three annual intakes, flexible evening and hybrid scheduling, small class sizes, and hands‑on lab experiences intended to replicate workplace systems.

Takata said the program prepares students for recognized certifications such as CompTIA Security+ and the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and that a Microsoft grant covers certification vouchers for students. He also described an NSF grant the college received to build experiential lab capacity so that students gain practical, work‑like experience before applying for entry‑level positions. The program partners with local industry and is developing a career‑pathway apprenticeship for high‑school students to earn credit and experience.

Why it matters: presenters said many students can get industry certificates online, but lack of workplace experience remains a barrier to hiring; RTCs lab model and capture‑the‑flag events aim to bridge that gap and give students demonstrable, employer‑facing experience.

Context: panelists said regional employers in King County are hiring entry‑level cybersecurity analysts and that entry salaries in the market can be competitive; college leaders tied the pathway to transfer opportunities and higher degrees for long‑term career advancement.