Education, Certifications, and Experience: How Does the Modern Workforce Survive?

9 - 10 am Pacific Time | Virtual

Join us at NCyTE's monthly meeting!

Paul Ruffalo explores the zero-sum dynamic between formal education, industry certifications, and real-world experience through the use of storytelling and character-driven examples. By personifying common candidate profiles - like the "Paper Tiger," "Self-Starter," "Expert," and "Unicorn" - Paul illustrates how competing demands create the illusion of talent shortages and contribute to misaligned hiring practices. Storytelling is used not only to illuminate the challenges but also to ground practical solutions. Attendees will walk away with targeted, role-specific strategies that potential employees, employers, and educators can apply to break the cycle - creating more balanced and functional cybersecurity workforce.

Paul Ruffalo is a dedicated son, uncle, husband, father, and community advocate whose professional journey reflects the same commitment he brings to his personal life. With over 25 years of experience spanning technology, cybersecurity, compliance, and auditing, Paul currently serves as the Head of Internal Audit at Collins Community Credit Union and teaches Cybersecurity and Compliance at Kirkwood Community College. His diverse background includes vCISO advisory work, podcasting, nonprofit leadership, and recognition as an award-winning Agentic AI designer.

The National Cybersecurity Training & Education (NCyTE) Center is an advanced technological education National Science Foundation grant award #2054724.