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Aspiritech is proud to welcome Tanika Edmonds as our new Director of Workforce Development, a leadership role that carries a deep commitment to creating equitable pathways into meaningful, sustainable careers.
With more than 20 years of cross-sector experience spanning workforce development, higher education, finance, and the nonprofit sector, Tanika brings a wealth of expertise in operational management, strategic planning, and partnership cultivation. But beyond her impressive résumé, she offers something more powerful: a belief in people’s potential and in the systems that can help that potential thrive.
She shared with us, “When targeted training is woven into someone with unique abilities, it is there that you will find extraordinary talent.”
Throughout her career, Tanika has led initiatives that bridge the gap between education and employment, fostering collaboration between employers, educators, and community organizations. Her leadership style centers on connection, inclusion, and innovation, all values that mirror Aspiritech’s mission to empower autistic and other neurodivergent adults through meaningful work.
At Aspiritech, workforce development goes beyond teaching technical skills to emphasize building confidence, community, and long-term career readiness. In her new role, Tanika will lead Aspiritech’s efforts to expand professional training and development opportunities for neurodivergent adults across technology fields, beginning with one of today’s most exciting and fast-growing industries: cybersecurity.
The global cybersecurity market is projected to reach $262 billion by 2030, with 3.5 million unfilled positions expected worldwide by 2025. In the United States alone, there are more than 750,000 cybersecurity jobs currently open. These figures reflect both an urgent demand for skilled professionals and a rising possibility to redefine what a thriving, inclusive workforce can look like.
Aspiritech recently launched its Cybersecurity Apprenticeship program to meet this opportunity. It provides neurodivergent adults in Illinois with a structured, supported, and cost-free pathway into the cybersecurity field that combines education, mentorship, and paid on-the-job experience.
The program begins with a 12-week pre-apprenticeship focused on CompTIA Security+ fundamentals and the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) framework. This stage offers 20–30 hours per week of unpaid instruction at no cost to participants, preparing learners to pass their CompTIA Security+ certification exam and gain a solid foundation in cybersecurity principles.
Following the pre-apprenticeship, participants advance to a six-month, paid apprenticeship with Aspiritech or a partner organization. Apprentices earn wages starting at $20.55 per hour, with pay progressing up to $34.25 per hour by completion. Working 30–40 hours per week for a total of 2,000 hours, apprentices gain hands-on experience in real cybersecurity environments. All of this serves to build the technical and professional skills needed for long-term success.
The curriculum covers a broad range of essential topics, including:
Every module is designed with different learning styles in mind, combining structured instruction with autism-informed mentorship. Group study sessions, mock exams, and real-world role applications help participants acquire both the knowledge and confidence needed on their cybersecurity career journey.
While the apprenticeship is open exclusively to Illinois residents, Aspiritech’s Cybersecurity Academy offers a national pathway for neurodivergent learners across the United States. The Academy provides foundational cybersecurity instruction—also at no cost to participants—in a flexible learning environment designed with neurodiversity in mind.
Together, these programs embody Aspiritech’s approach to workforce development by meeting people where they are, honoring how they learn best, and supporting their growth every step of the way.
Aspiritech’s model is grounded in the understanding that neurodivergent professionals bring unique strengths to technology fields. Attention to detail, systems thinking, persistence, and pattern recognition are all highly valued traits in cybersecurity. In a field where precision and vigilance matter most, these strengths become real assets.
By providing access to training and mentorship within an inclusive community, Aspiritech helps participants channel those strengths into professional success. Under Tanika’s leadership, the organization’s workforce initiatives will continue to evolve, with new programs, partnerships, and pathways already on the horizon.
The pilot cohort of the Cybersecurity Apprenticeship began on September 15, 2025. Two additional cohorts are scheduled for February 2 and July 13, 2026.
As the program grows, so will its impact by preparing more neurodivergent professionals for in-demand roles, while enabling more employers to build increasingly diverse, resilient teams.
Aspiritech’s commitment to inclusion continues to shape not just the tech industry, but the broader understanding of what equitable workforce development looks like. With Tanika Edmonds at the helm, the path forward is one of collaboration, access, and possibility.
Curious to learn more about enrolling in Aspiritech’s Cybersecurity Apprenticeship and Cybersecurity Academy programs? Fill out our interest form or contact Prerana Madhira, the Cybersecurity Academy Manager, at prerana.madhira@aspiritech.org.
Aspiritech is a nonprofit social enterprise providing high-quality software and digital accessibility testing powered by a talented neurodiverse workforce. Based in Evanston, Illinois, Aspiritech’s mission is to create meaningful employment for autistic adults while delivering an expansive range of professional tech solutions to businesses worldwide.
“We hired them for the mission. We’ve kept them because they are excellent.”
Aspiritech, NFP
