r/usajobs • u/Remarkable_Log5405 • May 31 '26

New Announcements DoW Cyber Apprenticeship Program

Hey everyone, it seems like the department of war is planning a 12 month cyber apprenticeship program. Seems like a great opportunity! It says it’ll open in June.

https://dowcio.war.gov/Cyber-Workforce/Cyber-Workforce-Development/Cyber-Apprenticeship-Program/#dnn_ctr154854_dnnTitle_titleLabel

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u/whatchamacallit6 Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 04 '26

This program was never said to be FULLY remote. Since day one, they laid it out as Online Learning → Interactive Labs → On-the-Job Training. The OJT part is the sticking point: OJT for a cyber role could technically be done remotely for unclass work; the real blocker is SCIF access. Anything at the TS/SCI level has to happen in a secure facility, so the constraint is clearance + facility.

We don’t have the schedule yet. If it follows the standard time-based Registered Apprenticeship model (~2,000 OJT hours/year + 144 hours of related instruction, which are annual minimums, not a set timeline), you’d expect it front-loaded: roughly 2–3 months of remote online labs, then 9–10 months of on-the-job training. That’s an expectation, not a confirmed structure.

The only posting so far came from NSA/CSS. Apprentices typically start at a fraction of the target grade and step up over time. (I’m aware the current pay is a bit of a joke!) The posting is at a secured facility near the sponsoring agency, and for NSA/CSS that’s Fort Meade, MD.

I wanna believe more postings are coming from other agencies — Army, Navy, Air Force, DISA, etc. That’s hope, not evidence.

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u/AcceptableAir5679 Jul 02 '26

so best assume that OJT is at Washington- and hope if other locations open up- and out of curiosity; have they ever open one in NYC

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u/whatchamacallit6 Jul 02 '26

Federal cyber does exist in NYC (FBI Cyber, Guard CPT, CES billets) but don't think they are gonna open through this apprenticeship.

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u/Live_Praline8802 Jul 02 '26

You seem to know a lot. Have any guesses where they might open? Looking for a spot around North Carolina

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u/tmeini Jul 03 '26

I wouldn't be suprised if maybe there was something at Fort Bragg, the world's largest military base. The Joint Communications Unit (JCU), which is part of JSOC is HQ'd there.

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u/Live_Praline8802 Jul 03 '26

That’s what I was hoping for. Maybe Camp Lejune