The United States Department of War has opened its Cyber Apprenticeship Program, and applications are being taken until July 17, 2026. It is one of several programs now available to those looking for a career in cybersecurity within the federal government.
Also known as the Cyber RAP, it is a fully paid, 12-month pilot initiative that was developed to train individuals for entry-level cybersecurity roles without requiring previous experience or even a college degree.
“The program, administered by the DoW Office of the Chief Information Officer (DoW CIO), is designed to address the growing demand for skilled cyber professionals within the Department. This 12-month program provides a paid, structured, progressive pathway for individuals seeking to launch or advance their careers in cyber,” the Pentagon’s summary explained.
It requires in-person presence at multiple locations in the Washington, D.C., area, and relocation expenses aren’t covered. Still, it does offer a salary of $22,584 for those chosen to take part.
Entry-Level Cyber Opportunity
The department also stated that the Cyber Apprenticeship Program is meant to prepare participants for entry-level cyber positions within the Department aligned to the DoW 8140, which can include, but not limited to:
- Cyber Defense Analyst (511)
- Cyber Defense Infrastructure Support Specialist (521)
- Cyber Defense Incident Responder (531)
Applicants need to be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years old and must also be able to obtain and maintain the required security clearance.
The Hot Program of the Year?
Summer 2026 has been one for the record books already, and the Cyber Apprenticeship Program may be one of the hottest and most sought-after positions this year. There were reports on LinkedIn that the application site crashed due to the volume of applicants.
“Seventy thousand inquiries compressed into an 11-day application window tell you the talent pool was always there. People will show up when someone gives them a clear path in,” explained Jacob Krell, senior director for secure AI solutions and cybersecurity at security provider Suzu Labs.
“Cyber RAP breaks a catch-22 that has blocked civilian talent for years. You cannot get a cleared cyber job without a clearance, and you cannot get a clearance without a job that sponsors one,” Krell added.
“Even heavily certified people with relevant skills sit outside the cleared workforce because no one will sponsor that first investigation,” Krell told ClearanceJobs. “OPM removed default degree requirements from federal tech position standards this year, and Cyber RAP is built directly on that shift. If this cohort performs, it becomes the template for cleared cyber hiring across the Pentagon.”
Damon Small, board member at cybersecurity firm Xcape, Inc., also told ClearanceJobs that this should be seen as good news and a sign the federal government is investing in this important capability to protect the national interests.
“Warfare is no longer limited to kinetic tactics, so the DoW’s efforts in shoring up their cyber expertise are warranted,” said Small.
This program doesn’t just lower the barrier to entry; it provides a clear path to a cleared cybersecurity career.
It addresses what many hiring managers in cleared cyber know too well as the main point of frustration.
“Qualified candidates exist, but the clearance sponsorship barrier filters them out before they can prove anything,” said Krell. “Demand has been obvious for years, and the Pentagon’s intake process kept it bottled up. Crashing a government system with applicant volume is an expensive way to prove that point, but the proof is hard to argue with.”
Path to a New Cyber Career
What also makes the Cyber Apprenticeship Program unique is that it didn’t require any significant training in cybersecurity, and it offered a small but still reasonable salary. Combined, those are significant and could help address what has been a serious challenge for years.
“Government hiring has historically prioritized applicants with a college degree, which has excluded promising talent. Cybersecurity requires problem-solving, creativity, and persistence, and I’m glad to see this apprenticeship program prioritizing those qualities as selection criteria,” said Doc McConnell, head of policy and compliance at enterprise cybersecurity platform provider Finite State.
McConnell added that no prior cybersecurity knowledge is also notable.
“Organizations seeking new cybersecurity talent need to recognize that it requires an investment on their part. They need to commit to mentorship, on-the-job training, and certification support. And applicants need to realize that their success isn’t about getting it right on day one, but about developing new skills and building knowledge over the long term,” said McConnell, a former CISA branch chief and senior advisor for cybersecurity policy with the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.
He further told ClearanceJobs that the paid learning opportunity is also why the program has been so popular with applicants. Other agencies should take that as a lesson.
“This apprenticeship takes the right approach in treating a 12-month program as a paid opportunity, rather than an unpaid internship. This opens up the pool of applicants considerably, since most job seekers would not be able to consider a full-time year-long commitment without guaranteed compensation,” said McConnell.
For years, there have been reports of unfilled cybersecurity positions across every sector, suggesting a huge shortfall of talent to meet our cybersecurity needs.
“That there were 70,000 applicants to this program means the talent is there, and as an industry, we need to address the barriers preventing us from matching talent to opportunities,” he continued. “I was concerned that the significant layoffs across the federal government in 2025 would deter recent graduates and early-career professionals from pursuing a career in government. Public service is more important than ever, and this is an unequivocal—and reassuring—signal that the government can still attract talent.”
Will Other Agencies Offer Similar Programs?
It may be too early to judge the success of the Pentagon’s Cyber Apprenticeship Program. Still, there is a sizable pool of potential candidates eager for similar opportunities.
“The fact that so many young professionals have expressed interest in this paid apprenticeship is as much a reflection of the struggles of the industry in the private sector as it is of candidates wishing to work for the federal government,” said Small. “Despite cynical opinions that exist, the trajectory of our Nation encouraging cyber expertise is necessary and will further protect the U.S.’s information assets. This can bring forth a blossom of skilled individuals to state and local federal operations, including critical infrastructure.”
Programs such as this one could also help those who are transitioning from the military, but challenges could remain, warned Krell.
The biggest issue may be that the Pentagon can’t meet the salary demands, and that could mean that candidates may seek to gain the skills and clearance but head to greener pastures.
“Ex-military personnel have been the dominant cyber talent pipeline into DoD, partly because veterans arrive with clearances already adjudicated,” suggested Krell.
That pipeline already has a retention problem, as the military trains people at government pay, and the private sector hires the graduates at double the salary.
“Cyber RAP graduates will face the same pull toward private sector pay,” Krell acknowledged. “CISA, NSA, and service-specific cyber commands face identical shortfalls and will build similar programs over the next 18 months. Agencies that train cleared cyber talent at government pay will keep losing graduates to contractors who double the offer.”
This 12-month-long program could produce apprentices ready for junior SOC roles and structured incident response work.
“Applicants who get in should start SF-86 preparation the day they apply, because clearance processing will be the slowest part of their timeline. Cyber RAP adds cleared headcount at the entry level,” said Krell. “The senior end, where DoD needs practitioners with advanced offensive security skills and years of field experience, still has no equivalent pathway.”
However, there may be reasons why some may seek a lengthy career with the Pentagon.
“Working in the public sector offers a significant benefit that the private sector has struggled with lately,” Small continued. “That is, stability, tenure, and attractive retirement benefits.”
