Tooling U-SME Partners With CyManII to Launch a Cybersecurity Training Program

Tooling U-SME, the workforce training and development arm of SME, and CyManII, the Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute, have partnered to deliver "CyManII Sealed" ? endorsed cybersecurity training for manufacturers. As cyberattacks grow increasingly sophisticated and threat landscapes expand, organizations and their employees need to understand how to raise awareness and take actionable preventative measures to protect against the new vulnerabilities.

"Cybersecurity is highly reliant on people," said Jeannine Kunz, Chief Workforce Development Officer at SME. "Preventing cyberattacks on our supply chain only works when everyone is a part of the solution. This is even more important in the context of our current skills gap. Our vision, as two nonprofit organizations, includes a focus on securing manufacturers from threats by equipping the industry with the necessary cybersecurity skills."

Tooling U-SME through the CyManII Sealed cybersecurity training program will provide the additional knowledge needed to prepare manufacturers for the growing vulnerabilities inherent with emerging operational and processes technologies. The web-based training is presented in an engaging and interactive format for organizations of all sizes.

Together, CyManII and Tooling U-SME will set a new benchmark for developing educational resources that remain current with rapidly changing cyberthreats and democratizing access to training on cybersecurity awareness.

Awareness of Cybersecurity Is Critical

With increased adoptions of Industry 4.0 technologies, and the increased digital connectivity throughout our facilities, a fundamental understanding of cybersecurity is becoming more critical to preventing losses due to cyberattacks. The United States Government Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency identifies manufacturing as one of the 16 critical U.S. infrastructures. Consequently, ensuring the strength and integrity of this sector is crucial to national safety and security.

Upskilling the Workforce in Cybersecurity

For the industry to securely compete globally, the workforce must be prepared and motivated. Leveraging Tooling U-SME's training portfolio and extensive reach into industry and academia, CyManII Sealed will drive progress through transformational workforce development. Through this national collaboration, Tooling U-SME will become a key partner for CyManII, launching CyManII Sealed-approved training and setting a new standard in industry cybersecurity learning solutions for the manufacturing sector.

"In the height of the Industry 4.0 transformation that the workforce is facing, it is imperative that Tooling U-SME and CyManII partner to provide learning solutions needed to develop a workforce that is trained and upskilled in the areas of operational technology and cybersecurity to protect our nation's most vulnerable assets," said Ty Middleton, Director of Education and Workforce Development at CyManII.

Collaboration across the Manufacturing USA Innovation Institutes

Tooling U-SME will provide immediate access to our industry's industrial base and extensive pipeline of future workers, delivering necessary cybersecurity training to thousands of OEMs, suppliers, and schools across our country. The training material, with review and input from CyManII, America Makes (National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute) and CESMII (The Smart Manufacturing Institute), and was also supported by the U.S. Office of Naval Research under awards N00014-18-1-2881 led by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining and N00014-19-1-2742 led by SME.

About CyManII

CyManII - Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute - connects cybersecurity and energy efficiency to create manufacturing solutions that keep America's companies competitive and protected. CyManII is a national institute with government, industry, academic and nonprofit thought leaders in cybersecurity and smart, energy-efficient manufacturing, and deep expertise in supply chains, factory automation and workforce development. Learn more at cymanii.org, follow @CyManII on LinkedIn or visit facebook.com/CyManII.

About Tooling U-SME

Tooling U-SME delivers versatile, competency-based learning and development solutions to the manufacturing community, working with thousands of companies, including more than half of all Fortune 500® manufacturers, as well as 900 educational institutions across the country. Tooling U-SME partners with customers to build high performers who help their companies drive quality, productivity, innovation, and employee satisfaction. A division of SME, a nonprofit that connects people to manufacturing solutions, Tooling U-SME can be found at toolingu.com or follow @ToolingU on Facebook and Twitter or visit linkedin.com/company/toolingu-sme.

NOTE TO EDITORS: High-resolution images of Jeannine Kunz and the Workforce Ready Cybersecurity Training graphic are available from SME.