Per Scholas & WGU Innovative Partnership Can Be a Pathway to a College Degree for Per Scholas Alumni.
Per Scholas and Capgemini partner to provide technical training to underrepresented communities. In this podcast, Damien Howard discusses the positive impact of the Per Scholas & Capgemini partnership on learners.
Per Scholas partners with tech leaders to offer tech training programs that help Americans overcome the digital divide.
Comcast Provides Update on Decade-Long Commitment to Digital Equity; Announces Plans to Accelerate Efforts In 2021
Per Scholas Receives $577,500 Grant from The TD Ready Challenge to Address the Impacts of COVID-19
The TD Ready Challenge awarded Per Scholas to deliver Tech Training to those disproportionately impacted by the pandemic
New York, NY – January 27, 2020 – Today, national tech training nonprofit Per Scholas has been named one of six U.S. winners of the 2020 TD Ready Challenge presented by TD Bank. Through this initiative, Per Scholas will provide its vast network of alumni – particularly those negatively impacted by COVID-19 – with upskilling, reskilling, and professional development opportunities to help them advance in successful tech careers. The programming will be provided to alumni in Baltimore, Greater Boston, the National Capital Region NCR), Newark, New York, and Philadelphia.
“Per Scholas has brought forward a creative and scalable solution to help those disproportionately impacted by the effects of COVID-19 prepare for the current workforce,” said Andy Bregenzer, Regional President, Metro New York, TD Bank. “Being a winner of the TD Ready Challenge is a testament to the skill, ingenuity, and vision of its creators, as well as their dedication to ensuring our communities emerge from the pandemic more resilient, inclusive, vibrant and ready for the continually changing future.”
The TD Ready Challenge is an annual initiative, laddering up to the TD Ready Commitment, TD’s corporate citizenship platform, aimed at opening doors to a more inclusive and sustainable tomorrow. Acting as a springboard for social innovation, TD established the TD Ready Challenge to identify and support scalable solutions that address societal issues identified within the four drivers of the TD Ready Commitment: Financial Security, Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has had an immense impact on society and that’s why the 2020 TD Ready Challenge encouraged organizations across TD’s North American footprint to create innovative solutions to help create accelerated, sustained and equitable recovery in the face of COVID-19.
“For over 25 years, Per Scholas has been committed to helping our learners break the cycle of poverty and launch stable, family-sustaining careers in the technology sector,” said Plinio Ayala, President and CEO of Per Scholas. “We’re able to do this by providing innovative solutions to systemic issues of equity and opportunity in the tech field and offering tuition-free training and career development services to individuals who are traditionally underrepresented in today’s most promising fields. However, we cannot do this work without the incredible support of organizations like TD Bank, which is why we could not be more grateful for this award from the TD Ready Challenge.”
In total, TD awarded $10 million (CAD) for the 2020 Challenge, as part of the $25 million (CAD) that TD has allocated to help strengthen community resilience and COVID-19 recovery through the TD Community Resilience Initiative.
A full list of The Ready Challenge winners as well as more information about the challenge can be found at www.td.com/thereadychallenge.
About Per Scholas
Per Scholas is a national organization that has been advancing economic mobility for 25 years. Through rigorous training, professional development, and robust employer connections, we prepare individuals traditionally underrepresented in technology for high-growth careers in the industry. We partner with leading employers to build more diverse talent pools, directly connecting our graduates to new career opportunities at businesses ranging from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups. With campuses in 14 cities, Per Scholas has trained more than 12,000 individuals in tech skills, building bridges to careers in technology. To learn more, visit perscholas.org.
About the TD Ready Commitment
TD has a long-standing commitment to enriching the lives of its customers, colleagues and communities. As part of its corporate citizenship platform, the TD Ready Commitment, TD is targeting CAD $1 billion (U.S. $775 million) in total by 2030 towards community giving in four areas critical to opening doors for a more inclusive and sustainable tomorrow – Financial Security, Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health. Through the TD Ready Commitment, TD aspires to link its business, philanthropy and human capital to help people feel more confident – not just about their finances, but also in their ability to achieve their personal goals in a changing world. For further information, visit td.com/tdreadycommitment.
National Nonprofits WGU and Per Scholas Announce Education Articulation Partnership
Organizations will focus on educating a diverse and technologically skilled workforce.
SALT LAKE CITY (January 25, 2020) – Building on its mission to change lives for the better by creating pathways to opportunity, nonprofit Western Governors University’s (WGU) College of Information Technology today announced a transfer articulation partnership with nonprofit technology workforce development organization Per Scholas. Alumni of Per Scholas—which delivers tuition-free, market-relevant IT education in 14 major metro areas across the U.S.—will now be eligible to receive credit from their Per Scholas education toward a WGU IT bachelor’s degree program.
WGU and Per Scholas have the shared belief that equitable access to education is the greatest catalyst for change. Particularly, information technology education provides for a more diverse and equitable workforce and economy as it moves individuals to thriving wage careers. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate effect on communities of color and women, and there is an imperative need to address social inequities that leave individuals at the margins and deter them from learning.
“Careers in technology provide some of the highest wages and growth potential in our economy,” said Dr. Elke Leeds, Dean and Academic Vice President of WGU’s College of IT. “It’s not news that technology has a diversity problem, and we remain committed to expanding access to the learning and skills needed for employment, and the degree needed for advancing in a technology career. Social justice is advanced through equitable education and with rigorous technology education, Per Scholas is making its impact by increasing access to tech training, in particular for women and people of color, communities often underrepresented in technology fields. We are thrilled to partner with Per Scholas and provide their alumni with pathways to further their educations and careers.”
Through a network of philanthropic funding and grants, Per Scholas provides tuition-free, bootcamp-style technology education in IT support, cybersecurity, and software engineering to diverse learner populations. With a network of more than 500 employer partners, 80% of Per Scholas graduates found a job within one year of graduating. WGU’s recognition of Per Scholas’ training now provides graduates with their next opportunity in education and career advancement. WGU’s online degree programs allow learners to work toward their degree on their own time, and its competency-based education model measures learning rather than seat time. This allows learners to progress as soon as they master skills and graduate with a bachelor’s degree within two-and-a-half years on average.
“We’re incredibly excited about this partnership with WGU, especially knowing the benefits and value it represents for the Per Scholas community,” said Bridgette Gray, Per Scholas Chief Impact Officer. “For our alumni who are looking to move into middle management roles, many companies still require an undergraduate degree. This partnership gives our graduates significant credits toward a degree in Information Technology at an outstanding university that not only offers affordable tuition, but also coursework flexibility. This provides our graduates who enroll at WGU with greater value for the hard work and time that they invested into their Per Scholas coursework and the certificates they earned, putting our alumni that much closer to achieving the next goal in their career progression.”
In the months and years to come, WGU and Per Scholas will seek to advance their partnership to be stewards of equitable access to technology education and will roll out local and regional enrollment efforts. To learn more about the partnership visit wgu.edu/lp/information-technology/per-scholas.html. For employers and philanthropic partner interests, please contact Brad Angevine at Per Scholas.
About WGU
Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves more than 129,000 students nationwide and has more than 215,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation’s leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In just 24 years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families, and preparing the workforce needed in today’s rapidly evolving economy. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and has been featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. Learn more at wgu.edu.
About Per Scholas
Per Scholas is a national organization that has been advancing economic mobility for 25 years. Through rigorous training, professional development and robust employer connections, we prepare individuals traditionally underrepresented in technology for high-growth careers in the industry. We partner with leading employers to build more diverse talent pools, directly connecting our graduates to new career opportunities with leading employers, from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups. With campuses in 14 cities, Per Scholas has trained more than 12,000 individuals in tech skills, building bridges to careers in technology. To learn more, please visit perscholas.org.