Fort Meade Alliance Unveils Next Phase of Project SCOPE

Fort Meade Alliance Unveils Next Phase of its Security Clearance Education Initiative
Project SCOPE College/Workforce Targets College Graduates and Maryland Job Applicants

The Fort Meade Alliance has debuted the next phase of its signature program Project SCOPE (Security Clearance Overview and Preparation Education) that provides a thorough understanding of the security clearance process for those who are looking for a job in Maryland. This release of Project SCOPE is targeted at 2- and 4-year college students as well as workers changing or re-entering the workforce.

Project SCOPE, College/Workforce details the process of obtaining security clearances, what types of clearances are available and necessary for different work, as well as general information to assist in the job search and interview process.

With new jobs and positions being created by BRAC, U.S. Cyber Command, business expansion and retiring baby boomers, job opportunities in cyber security, science and technology related careers and other areas such as construction and finance are growing rapidly. Filling these positions with skilled workers who have security clearances is the driving force behind Project SCOPE.

“There is a critical need for security-cleared individuals to fill the much-needed jobs in this region,” said Penny Cantwell, FMA Education and Workforce Chair and Senior Vice President of CommerceFirst Bank. “In providing a program that supports a more accurate understanding of the security clearance process, our region will be able to hire new employees more efficiently and streamline government and business workflow.”

Project SCOPE, College/Workforce was unveiled Tuesday, June 21 at Towson University, which has supplied the funding for this next step via a grant from the Department of Labor.
More than 75 representatives from private and state universities and workforce development groups throughout the state including Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard and Harford counties as well as Baltimore City attended the launch event.

Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger, citing the need for skilled workers with security clearances to staff the state’s growing cyber security sector, applauded the development of Project SCOPE.

“Security clearances are required to work in many national security arenas – such as cyber security – that will provide thousands of new jobs in Maryland,” Congressman Ruppersberger said. “Studies show security-cleared professionals are among the top 10 percent of earners in the country. By educating people on what it takes to obtain a security clearance, Project SCOPE and the Fort Meade Alliance are helping Maryland fill that pipeline of high-quality, high-paying jobs.”

Project SCOPE, which debuted in June 2009, was created to educate middle and high school students in Maryland about the great opportunities available to them in careers that require security clearances. Project SCOPE, College/Workforce is the natural progression of this program.

The website www.project-scope.org addresses several different aspects of the security clearance process, and provides vital information to job applicants. It targets 2-year and 4-year college graduates, and professionals who are re-entering the workforce or changing careers.
Major topics addressed by Project SCOPE include:
•    Entering the Job Market, which provides details on what employers want in an applicant, and how to provide that information in a resume and cover letter. Soft skills development is also discussed.

•    Clearances 101 gives job seekers an overview of the most common types of clearances and jobs and salaries that accompany them. Access to cleared personnel who can offer helpful hints and advice is also included.

•    Clearance Process explains the process for obtaining a security clearance in simple, straightforward language to clear up confusion and relieve the stress a candidate might be feeling. Timetables, required information and polygraph preparation are included.

•    Are You Ready? examines one of the key components to the security clearance process — successfully completing the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Standard Form 86 (SF 86). Project SCOPE demystifies common misconceptions and offers helpful hints to applicants who are working to complete this challenging, complicated questionnaire.

“The Fort Meade Alliance used combined expertise from industry partners and government agencies including NSA, DISA and FMA members to develop this program in order to bring attention to critical areas of the security clearance process,” said Rosemary Budd, president of the Fort Meade Alliance and Vice President for TASC. “This expertise provides Project SCOPE with unprecedented and formerly unavailable information that will assist job seekers and ultimately assist our region in filling much-needed jobs.”

In addition to the website, another teaching tool in Project SCOPE is the speakers bureau, which encourages professionals who currently have a security clearance to share their personal experiences with job applicants. Besides helping applicants understand the need for cleared workers in the region, the stories speakers share may ease the apprehension associated with obtaining a security clearance.

For more information about Project SCOPE or to sign up as part of the Speakers Bureau, please visit www.project-scope.org or contact the Fort Meade Alliance at 410.850.4940 or director@ftmeadealliance.org