Sinclair Community College Joins the Fortinet Academic Partner Program to Empower Students with Cybersecurity Skills

Sinclair Community College is strengthening its efforts to provide exceptional cybersecurity education to students by joining the Fortinet Academic Partner Program. Sinclair Community College is the first higher education institution in Ohio to join the elite program that bridges the gap between learning and careers by providing students with access to industry-recognized Fortinet Network Security Expert (NSE) Certification program’s curriculum and training. 

Through the partnership, Sinclair Community College is introducing three Fortinet Certified Professional (FCP) certifications that will provide students with critical skills in the following areas: Network Security, Public Cloud Security, and Security Operations.

Sinclair Community College is using Regionally Aligned Priorities in Developing Skills (RAPIDS) funding through the Ohio Department of Higher Education to support the purchase of firewall equipment from Fortinet partner Secure Cyber Defense based in Moraine, Ohio. The equipment will be used to give students vital hands-on cybersecurity training.

“Cybersecurity is a growing field with demand for skilled professionals far exceeding the supply.  This partnership with Fortinet and Secure Cyber Defense will strengthen the efforts of Sinclair Community College to better prepare our students and meet the workforce needs of the cybersecurity industry,” said Professor Kyle Jones, Chair – Sinclair Community College Computer Science & Information Technology Department. 

Secure Cyber Defense is a long-time partner of Sinclair Community College. The collaboration has allowed Sinclair to equip classrooms with state-of-the-art technology, provide internship opportunities for students, and externship opportunities for faculty. 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of information security analysts is projected to grow 32% through the year 2032 with approximately 16,800 openings for information projected each year. 

Over the past five years, nearly 2,400 Sinclair Community College students have earned computer science and information technology degrees and certifications. To learn more about program offerings, visit Sinclair.edu/Computer-Information. 

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