Bridgewater's Vision to Reality: Let’s Talk Economic Opportunity
Let’s Talk: Economic Opportunity
There are eight elements that are the foundations of the Vision to Reality initiative: housing, job creation, small business, economic development, infrastructure, historic preservation, pedestrian safety and transportation. In this issue of Let’s Talk, we’re going to connect many of those elements by focusing on the emerging Cybersecurity Program at Bridgewater State University (BSU).
In 1840, Horace Mann, the father of American education, founded Bridgewater Normal School, one of the first in the U.S. with an initial mission to train school teachers. Fast forward to 2023, what is now BSU is preparing to launch a first-of-its-kind bachelor’s degree program in cybersecurity, further establishing itself as a leader in cybersecurity education and combining a faculty of top cyber experts with state-of-the-art facilities. The town of Bridgewater, and the region, benefit from BSU’s forward thinking in addressing growing threats and demand for cybersecurity workers.
Some facts to consider:
Since 2016 the unemployment rate in the cyber security field is 0%
Median annual income for cyber professionals is $102,600 (US Bureau of Labor & Statistics)
The global cybersecurity workforce grew to encompass 4.7 million people, reaching its highest-ever levels according to a (ISC)2 2022 workforce study
The same study found that there is still a need for more than 3.4 million security professionals; an increase of over 26% from 2021’s numbers. This reverses a trend seen in (ISC)2’s 2021 study, where the number of open cybersecurity jobs actually dropped over a two-year period
Estimate job growth 2020-2030 is 33%
Massachusetts, like the rest of the country, is experiencing a shortage of cybersecurity professionals. From October 2021 through September 2022, Massachusetts had just over 26,769 people employed in cybersecurity-related positions and about 20,702 cybersecurity job openings were posted
So, let’s connect some dots:
Housing: the MBTA Communities legislation requires the Town to provide for the creation of an additional 1401 units of housing through zoning by December 2024. Here’s our assessment of the housing crisis in Bridgewater and in the Commonwealth.
Much like bioscience and biotech have become niche catalysts for economic development in the Boston/Cambridge, Metro-128 area, cybersecurity has the potential to be Bridgewater’s and the region's niche catalyst.
Paralleling those niche catalysts is the emergence of new businesses as students graduate from the program, public-private partnerships developed with technology industry partners, and faculty, students and the university finding ways to further monetize the intellectual resources which evolve in the cybersecurity field.
Once the previous three bullet points start becoming a reality, what is referred to as a “multiplier effect” is realized: the investment in creating the program creates high paying jobs, which will create demand for housing, which will create demand for goods and services, which will create the need for more jobs, which will create the opportunity for economic expansion and the attraction of new businesses, which further puts more money into the local economy. Imagine a row of dominoes: one falls, and the others follow.
These points directly correlate to this issue of Let’s Talk which explains how when the local tax base is expanded and tax revenues are increased, there’s the opportunity for improvements in infrastructure (water, sewer, and roads) and pedestrian safety. Also to consider: the expansion of South Coast Rail, the relocation of the MBTA platform to the Spring Street lot, improved and expanded bus and micro-transit resulting from the economic activity which has been created, will result in improved transportation options.
Finally, the first class of the Bridgewater Normal School was held in the basement of the Old Town Hall. Today, renovation of the Old Town Hall is a vital component of the revitalization of the Central Square Area. Utilization of that building potentially in partnership with the University as an arts and cultural center will bring the building full circle from 1840 and an example of historic preservation and a destination for cultural tourism.
Eight elements connected. Mann believed education was the great equalizer for all citizens. We’re confident he would see the evolution of both BSU and the Town in leveraging education and partnership for the benefit of its citizens to be mission fulfilled.