The initiative, first teased in April, has garnered nationwide interest — DoD said it received more than 70,000 inquiries from prospective candidates. Applications for the Defense Department’s long-anticipated cyber apprenticeship program are now open, providing additional details about the 12-month paid pilot designed to train the department’s next generation of cyber professionals. The department’s chief information officer’s office announced Monday that applications will be accepted through July 17 on USAJobs.gov. The initiative, first teased in April, has garnered nationwide interest — the Defense Department said it received more than 70,000 inquiries from prospective candidates. “This overwhelming surge highlights a massive, untapped demand for alternative, skills-based training pathways into national security roles,” the Defense Department said in a press release. The initial announcement of the program captured the public’s imagination in part due to relatively low barriers to entry. Unlike many government cyber roles, the program does not require prior professional cyber experience. The only qualifications are that applicants must be at least 18 years old, U.S. citizens and able to obtain a security clearance. Join us July 21 – 23 for Federal News Network's Space & Satellite Exchange where government and industry leaders will discuss advancing connectivity, resilience and mission reach. Register today! Plus, the CIO office said these positions would be entry-level — DoD’s recent pay tables show that a recent college graduate just starting out in the Washington, D.C. area as a GG-7 Step 1 would make approximately $57,735 a year. The office also said that while participants would be able to complete technical training modules online from any location approved by the employing agency, on-the-job training would be conducted in person and vary by employing agency. But according to the USAJOBS posting, the salary is only $22,584 a year, and most vacancies are based in the Washington,