By Steve Klamkin WPRO News

Former Congressman Jim Langevin was introduced Friday as the leader of a proposed new Institute for Cybersecurity & Emerging Technologies at Rhode Island College, to be funded by the state with $4 million dollars over its first three years.

Langevin, a RIC graduate, was introduced at a State House announcement,

“It means a lot,” Langevin told reporters. “Obviously it means a lot. I loved the work that I did there in Congress, but I see this gaping hole and this need for creating qualified and talented workforce to go into these fields and do the jobs that are available.

“There are over 700,000 cybersecurity jobs in the country right now that go unfilled, that number’s in the millions right now worldwide. There’s a significant amount of these jobs that are going to be needed right here in Rhode Island, and we need the workforce to do it. We can train them at Rhode Island College, get them the skills that they need. It’s a foot in the door toward good-paying jobs,” Langevin said.

Gov. Dan McKee said he would submit a supplemental budget to the General Assembly to earmark $4 million over the next three years to launch the institute, proposing $2 million from State Fiscal Recovery Funds and another $2 million from existing RIC resources.

Langevin and McKee agreed that part of his role would be to “shake the trees” to find other resources, including from the federal government.

Langevin said he passed up a similar offer from another institution which he would not name. He said he will begin the job June 1. Langevin and the governor said the salary has yet to be negotiated.

Langevin retired from Congress in January after two decades, serving from 2001 to 2023. He served on the Committee on Armed Services, on the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection and he chaired the Subcommittee on Intelligence, Emerging Threats and Capabilities.

Previously he served as Rhode Island Secretary of State from 1995 to 2001, and in the Rhode Island House from 1989 to 1995.