Robert Kerr
Diverse by Design Hosts 2nd Annual Jeffersonian Dinner
On Thursday, September 27th 100 guests gathered for Diverse by Design’s 2nd Annual Jeffersonian Dinner hosted at the home of Tony Spinelli, Per Scholas National Board Member and Chief Operating Officer & President, Cyber Division at Fractal Industries Inc.
The tradition of a Jeffersonian dinner began at the home of Thomas Jefferson in the early 1800s. Gathering together thought leaders and influencers across a broad range of issues, then President Jefferson posed a challenge for the group, and encouraged spirited debate throughout the evening.
In accordance with the tradition, Diverse by Design invited voices across a number of technology industries that included C-Suite leaders, recruiters and hiring managers in cybersecurity, IT and talent development to discuss actionable solutions employers can leverage to build more diverse and inclusive workplaces. The dinner was a starting point to a conversation and a network to foster substantive changes powered by an employer network in the National Capital Region.
The dinner’s host, Tony Spinelli, challenged the group to commit to strengthening their workforce through intentional sourcing, recruiting and hiring practices. Jeff Senne, Managing Director, PwC followed with remarks that included concrete examples for how PwC is challenging their existing structures from leadership to entry-level positions. According to Jeff, each person is responsible for championing inclusion in the workplace. The spirited discussion that followed continued late into the evening. The culminating moment was a “report out” where individual employers and corporate representatives reflected aloud to fellow employers in the room about reframing a “can’t do” attitude into an actionable strategy moving forward. Partners were encouraged to visit Per Scholas’ Silver Spring location following the event to have the opportunity to meet individuals trained in both cybersecurity and IT Support.
Thank you to everyone involved in the event. The evening was made possible by Platinum Level Sponsor Fannie Mae, as well as Silver Level Sponsors Kudelski Security, Synchrony Financial and Farm Credit Financial. For more information about the evening, Diverse by Design or Per Scholas, please reach out to [email protected] or visit the website www.diversebydesign.org.
Codebridge: Spanning the Gap Between Talent and Tech
Jasmine Miller, Atlanta Managing Director on Air with NPR WABE
Per Scholas Atlanta offers free IT training
Per Scholas and General Assembly Celebrate the First CodeBridge Graduation After Expanding the Training Track to Atlanta
Building on a partnership that started in New York, Per Scholas and global technology education company, General Assembly, celebrated the inaugural graduation of students from the Atlanta expansion of the CodeBridge Program. Graduates were joined by Stephanie Hardy, Regional Director, External and Legislative Affairs, AT&T, Reggie Marable, VP Enterprise Corporate Sales, Salesforce, Cinda Herndon-King, Executive Director, Atlanta CareerRise as well as Atlanta Councilman Andre Dickens.
CodeBridge is a 17-week web development training course that begins with five weeks of learning at Per Scholas, where students are prepared with the necessary skills to then move on to General Assembly’s twelve-week full stack web development course.
Both Per Scholas and General Assembly are committed to offering tech training to students from overlooked communities, and this program would not be possible without the generous support of Per Scholas Partners like Champion Partner AT&T, Signature Partner Salesforce.org, and Atlanta CareerRise.
The course allows Per Scholas and General Assembly to serve 60 additional Atlantans every year at no cost, and significantly adds to Atlanta’s pipeline of diverse coding talent.
Valedictorian Nestor Mendoza is a testament to the impact of this program. Nestor first came to America from Venezuela in 2016. Driven by his curiosity and desire to learn new skills, he decided to learn how to code and joined General Assembly’s Front End Development course.
This part-time course allowed Nestor to keep working full-time as a server and manager in a local Venezuelan restaurant. After completing that course, he had the tools to start freelancing as a Front End Developer in his free time.
Nestor’s experience at General Assembly opened up the world of IT and coding for him. However, he understood that in order to succeed in this environment, he had to constantly keep learning and practicing.
Almost one year after completing the Front End Development course, he found Per Scholas and enrolled in CodeBridge.
“Codebridge is a very challenging and rewarding program,” says Nestor. “You have to dedicate yourself 100% in order to succeed. But very soon you start noticing the improvements, and it’s amazing how much I know now compare to when I started.”
After graduation Nestor wants to work as a software developer, ideally in an environment that allows him to keep learning and improving, while challenging him to become a better developer.
Advice for Grads from Diahan Collins, Career Advancement Expert
Once you’ve finished your training and earned your certifications, you’re qualified for a great career, but you’ve still got to put your best foot forward to impress employers. Fortunately, Per Scholas has a team of amazing Career Advancement professionals with years of experience and knowledge to share with Per Scholas students and graduates.
Prior to working at Per Scholas, Diahan Collins worked for JPMorgan as a Team Leader in the Operations Customer Service Department for eight years. She also worked for Young Adult Institute (YAI) as an Employment Training Specialist and Family Service Specialist for over three years, and for FedCap Rehabilitation Services as Job Preparation and Placement Coordinator for a year. Now she helps prepare Per Scholas students for the job market as a Career Advancement Manager in Brooklyn. We asked her to share the most important advice for Per Scholas graduates to remember as they set out to land their next position. Here’s what she said:
1) Make sure your resume is tailored to the position that you are applying for. Review the job description and key requirements carefully.
2) Make sure you are networking more than you are applying for jobs online. That is, interface with potential individuals who can lead you to an opportunity. Don’t forget about the folks who are already employed in your field. They can be a great help in your job search!
3) Don’t forget about the company that you desire to work for. Go directly to their website and apply.
4) When utilizing LinkedIn, make sure your profile is free of typos and your presentation is professional.
5) Effective tracking tools will help you organize your job search. Keep notes of the companies you have applied for, agencies you have registered with, number of interviews, references, and professional networks.
6) Your Career Coach and the Business Solutions Team are here to assist in your job search.
7) Don’t give up! The more No’s you get will bring you closer to your Yes.
How Your Retired IT Hardware Can Build Careers For Those Typically Excluded
Per Scholas is known across the country for its reputable workforce development model. Technical training, career advancement, and supplying a diverse workforce for the tech sector have become synonymous with the national nonprofit. But nearly two decades ago, Per Scholas was better known for its IT asset reconditioning.
In 1995, Per Scholas got its start by collecting used computers and recycling them to give to families and schools. There was even a retail store operated out of the Bronx, NY office which sold and repaired discounted tech equipment. As Per Scholas’ mission shifted from refurbishing computers to opening doors to technology careers, its asset recovery efforts changed too.
“We’ve consistently adjusted and improved our process for the better, in response to numerous industry requirements and specific client needs,” says ZuQuan Rooks, Director of Social Ventures.
Today, Per Scholas partners with a handful of vetted and highly-qualified recyclers to outsource its IT asset recovery services. The e-Steward, R2 and ISO-certified recycler Liquid Technology, has become a Champion Partner of the organization. Six years ago, Liquid Technology began hiring Per Scholas graduates and donating computer hardware, which led to a positive and mutually-beneficial relationship.
“Liquid Technology is highly pivotal in delivering this important business solution to many of our client-partners,” Rooks says. “Any revenue generated from valuable retired hardware goes toward our important social mission. We proudly share with our partners the specific impact of their material support and use of our asset recovery services.”
Brenda Rodriguez, Manager of Social Ventures, handles communications with clients, coordinates logistics, and manages Per Scholas’ relationship with recycling partners, such as Liquid Technology. “We’ve had to become more selective about which donations we are able to accept,” Brenda says about all the donation offers she gets on a daily basis. She adds, “Although any donation offers are appreciated, not all are beneficial to our mission.” We are careful to ensure that the related costs inherent with their collection do not outweigh the value and volume of the donated equipment.”
On behalf of Per Scholas, Liquid Technology audits, tests and re-markets any hardware that has residual value, and recycles all obsolete hardware in an environmentally-responsible manner. When it comes to the recycling of retired tech equipment, Eric DeRosa, Director of Sales, Liquid Technology, rhetorically adds, “Since responsible e-waste management is a bonafide business solution which companies are legally required to do anyway, why not make sure it’s performed in a compliant manner and supports a good cause?”
Since industry standards and requirements for legal compliance have grown tremendously, Per Scholas urges companies to put their hardware in highly-qualified hands. Fox Sports, Mastercard International, Ford Foundation, IRS, Montefiore Medical Systems, Queens Library System and Amazon.com, among others, have trusted Per Scholas with the handling of their retired IT assets.
Last year Liquid Technology, among others, helped Per Scholas recycle 139,490 pounds of equipment. That’s 732,581 total pounds of carbon emissions that were prevented from entering Earth’s atmosphere. That’s equivalent to 1,061,712 plastic bottles!
Although Per Scholas administrates its asset recovery business out of its New York office, the Social Ventures team works with and constantly seeks national and global clientele. If your company would like Per Scholas to collect and process its retired tech equipment to directly benefit motivated, yet under-served technology students, please email ZuQuan Rooks at [email protected] for more information.
Jasmine Miller, Atlanta Managing Director on Air with NPR WABE
Last month, Per Scholas’ Managing Director for Atlanta, Jasmine Miller, sat down with NPR affiliate WABE’s Rose Scott to talk about diversity in technology, and the work of growing representation for women and minorities in the field. The two were joined by Erika Shackleford, a Per Scholas graduate, for a conversation that explored the organization’s mission to bring technology trainings and career opportunities to often-overlooked communities nationwide.
“We have a huge challenge here, locally and nationally, to really move towards helping these companies diversify the tech industry,” said Ms. Miller. “We want to make sure that the folks who are coming through our training are going to be successful, because it’s not just about training for us. It really is about helping them build a career in IT, so we partner with corporations, and we move these folks into jobs.”
“I like technology just because it’s a vast field. It’s not just one thing you can focus on… It’s an open space and you can find what you love,” Said Ms. Shackelford of the opportunities available to her since training with Per Scholas. Having found her passion, she hopes to pass on what she has learned. “Eventually I want to pay it forward, and start teaching people how to code.”
Per Scholas Invited to Speak on Capitol Hill at the Request of Republican and Democrat Lawmakers
On April 10th, 2018 Per Scholas President & CEO, Plinio Ayala, was invited to speak on a workforce solutions panel to an audience of legislators, congressional staff and business. North Carolina Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, Chair of the House Committee on Education and Workforce and fellow Illinois committee member Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, invited Per Scholas and Apprenticeship Carolina to present innovative workforce models backed by compelling evidence.
The afternoon event, organized by Results for America, treated legislators to a showing of Solutions to America’s Workforce Crisis, a recently premiered documentary, featuring Per Scholas as an evidence-based model increasing income and reducing public assistance for graduates. The film and panel asked lawmakers to consider investments in workforce organizations that are proving impact.
“There has never been a time in our country with so many organizations that have proven social impact, and yet the amount of government spending on these programs is at an all time low” says Plinio Ayala speaking to the room.
Per Scholas’ model is heralded for its innovative approach to serving employers as the primary customer and leveraging wrap-around support services for students using an expansive community network. One Congressional staffer asked what set the model apart. “We work directly with employers to offer feedback on the curriculum we develop. We have staff onsite who can speak the same language as the technical and hiring teams. We are not working with HR departments at these companies, we are working with hiring decision makers, the managers, the supervisors” said Plinio.
Per Scholas has recently launched a series of customized training partnerships that put students in direct hiring pipelines with major technology employers. The customized training offers free hands on skills, career development resources and interview opportunities with leading tech companies. This model is an extension of Per Scholas’ mission to identify local, diverse talent and open the doors to fulfilling careers within the IT workforce.