Last week's announcement that City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) was selected for a nationwide cybersecurity initiative will boost the public community college system's students excel in online security, CCC's Chancellor Juan Salgado said in a news release.

CCC is one of 14 community colleges nationwide that will the Cyber Skills for All initiative, a partnership between Microsoft and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), according to a CCC news release issued Jan. 19.

"We are thrilled to team up with AACC and Microsoft and be part of this initiative that works to fill the talent gap," Salgado said. "This initiative will help our diverse student population excel in cybersecurity."

Campus of Kennedy-King College, one of seven colleges and five satellite sites that make up City Colleges of Chicago | chicago.gov/

Success in cybersecurity also will open up job opportunities for CCC students.

"There truly is a career path for anyone who wants to be in this exciting sector," Salgado said. "Cybersecurity is the foundation of the digital world and this job pathway will continue to grow exponentially and globally."

CCC also will receive a $20,000 grant and "will be part of a community of practice consisting of community college workforce and economic development executives across the nation aimed at skilling people for participation in the digital economy," the news release said.

The initiative's goal is to bring together community colleges into a national community to prepare people for engagement in the worldwide digital economy.

The community colleges selected are: Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Hostos Community College, University of Arkansas Cossatot, North Hennepin Community College, Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology, Community College of Philadelphia, Central Community College, Bellevue College, Southwest Tennessee Community College, Blue Ridge Community and Technical College, College of Western Idaho, Tulsa Community College and College of Southern Nevada.

CCC is one of Illinois' largest community college systems, with about 54,000 students annually served by more than 3,800 faculty and staff at seven colleges and five satellite sites in Chicago, including Kennedy-King College on South Halsted Street.