Adobe Works with the Prelude Institute to Help Address the Cybersecurity Talent Gap

Adobe continues to invest in unique programs to help ensure that we, as well as the industry, have access to the most diverse, well-trained security talent possible. This is especially true in cybersecurity where we believe diversity is one of the keys to ongoing success in the industry. As part of this investment, Adobe has begun working with The Prelude Institute. Several of our security team members have already served as guest lecturers and mentors to students in the program. Adobe team members also consulted in development of the curriculum for this program. We are excited to expand further upon this relationship to help build out the cybersecurity workforce.

The Prelude Institute is a unique six-month, full-time, immersive educational program for non-traditional students. Many of the students come from underprivileged areas of the country as well as diverse life paths. Most students in the program have no prior college education. Some also have non-traditional degrees and are attempting to leverage those skills in solving security problems. Currently the program is available in Seattle, WA, and Manchester, NH, with additional sites coming online next year. The program also has a unique tuition structure where half the payment is contingent upon placement by the program into a cybersecurity or technology role. Recent graduates of the program now have roles as incident response analysts, security engineers, and IT security roles across a variety of industries, including MSSPs, IOT security, and biotech.

“Our mission is to raise the economic floor of non-traditional learners and workers, giving people immediately marketable security skills, and working actively to place them into new careers. We see our company as a membership, not a school. We want to have a relationship that spans the student’s entire career path and provide them with support every step of the way.” – Ted Ipsen, VP of Curriculum & Instructor

Testimonials from recent program graduates:

“For me Prelude was exactly what I was looking for. I wanted to make a career change. The thought that I could enter the security workforce without a Bachelor’s degree is what tipped the scales for me in favor of trying this program instead of an online degree program. Seven months after starting the program I have a job offer from a great company that is really impressed with what I learned. The expectations I set up in my mind before signing up have exceeded the best-case scenario I imagined. Very happy to be a part of the first cohort and hope others find value and take full advantage of the opportunity that this program provides.” – Kyle.

“My experience was nothing short of eye-opening. This program gave me an in-depth view of how information traverses the internet and how organizations secure their systems from potential threats. There is a reason the program is equivalent to a fulltime job; you’re living and breathing cyber security for six months of immersive training to become an effective analyst for entry-level roles. Students build a “security mindset” to think like an attacker, hone that perspective for blue-team roles, and use it to solve real world problems in the classroom.” – Forrest.

Adobe is proud to work with unique programs like The Prelude Institute that are working to ensure we and the broader security community have the best, most diverse talent available for security roles. Look for more about our support of this and other activities around the world here on the Security@Adobe blog and Twitter.