Building the Next Generation of Cyber Operators.
We don't just teach technology; we create professionals. Our intensive apprenticeship program connects veteran talent with real-world security challenges, transforming potential into operational readiness.
A progression, not a curriculum.
Each phase assumes the one before it. Supervision narrows as capability is demonstrated, and responsibility widens in step with it.
- Phase 01
Foundational Instruction
Every apprentice starts with structured instruction on networking, operating systems, and core security principles. The point is a shared vocabulary and a working mental model before anyone touches a live environment. Instruction comes from practitioners who run these systems, so the theory arrives with the context that makes it usable.
- Phase 02
Supervised Hands-On Work
Apprentices move into real tasks under direct supervision: triaging alerts, documenting findings, and working tickets alongside the analysts who own them. Errors surface where they can be caught and corrected rather than discovered later. The work is real, and so is the accountability attached to it.
- Phase 03
Certification Milestones
Credentials are earned during the program rather than bolted on at the end. Each milestone validates a block of capability the apprentice has already demonstrated at work, which is the order that makes a certification mean something. Security+ in particular opens roles governed by DoD 8140 workforce requirements.
- Phase 04
Increasing Operational Responsibility
As competency is demonstrated, supervision narrows and scope widens. Apprentices take ownership of recurring work, then of the decisions inside it, then of the judgment calls that separate an analyst from a technician. Progression is tied to demonstrated competency, not to time served.
- Phase 05
Operational Readiness
An apprentice finishes with a documented record of work performed, credentials that travel with them, and references from the practitioners who supervised them. That combination is what makes someone hireable into an operational seat instead of an entry-level queue.
Built to serve the apprentice and the employer at once.
You get operational experience, not coursework.
- Structured instruction paired with real operational work, running together instead of in sequence
- Mentorship from practitioners who are accountable for the same environments you are learning in
- Industry certifications earned during the program, not promised at the end of it
- A documented record of work performed and references from the people who supervised it
The next operator is already qualified. They just need the seat.
Tell us which side of the program you are on and we will walk you through what participation actually looks like.
Apprenticeship questions.
- What is the STS apprenticeship program?
- A mentorship-based pathway into cybersecurity operations that combines classroom instruction with supervised work on real security tasks. Apprentices move through foundational instruction, supervised hands-on work, certification milestones, increasing operational responsibility, and operational readiness.
- Who is the apprenticeship for?
- People ready to work in cybersecurity operations rather than people starting from zero. Candidates without a technical foundation are usually better served by the pre-apprenticeship program first, which exists to build exactly that foundation.
- Do apprentices work on real security work?
- Yes, under supervision. The program is built around the position that cybersecurity judgment is not transferable from a classroom alone, so apprentices take on genuine operational tasks with responsibility widening as they demonstrate competence.
- Are certifications part of the program?
- Yes. Certification milestones are built into the pathway rather than treated as homework, so credentials are earned alongside the operational experience that gives them weight.
- Is there a veteran pathway?
- Yes. STS is veteran-owned and works through VetHub to build funded cybersecurity career pathways for veterans and transitioning service members, whose service background often maps closely onto security operations work.
- How can an employer host or sponsor an apprentice?
- Employers partner with STS to host apprentices and build talent pipelines rather than competing for the same scarce senior hires. Start through the partnership inquiry on the contact page.