The skills gap is a pervasive problem across all industries; however, one sector in particular is having a difficult time finding qualified individuals to fill vacant roles. Cybersecurity companies have struggled to find competent hires for decades, but the problem is only going to get worse. According to the Harvard Business Review, by 2020 the industry will have more than 1.5 million unfilled positions. "We have a critical shortage of skilled cyber employees because everything we do is now connected to the internet," said Leigh Armistead, president of cybersecurity company Peregrine Technical Solutions. To solve the problem, the high-tech industry is taking a lesson from its blue-collar cousins and relying on apprenticeships to groom qualified candidates. This type of training is particularly effective in industries where commonly held best practices quickly become outdated. Combining classroom knowledge with practical skill gleaned from on-the-job training, cybersecurity apprentices can best learn to navigate the complicated landscape. Experts say this model might become more popular in other industries as well. "Many employers are seriously worrying where the next workers are going to come from," said Girish Seshagiri, vice president of ISPHI. "If your job has some skill attached to it, you're thinking about who's going to train them, so it's possible that more white-collar companies will go there."