For Immediate Release: 03. 28. 2018

Contact:

Jake McIntosh, Director, Strategic Communications

jmcintosh@perscholas.org – 978.578.6821

Dallas, Texas/National Capital Region – Per Scholas has been announced as one of nine National Grant Partners for Best Buy in 2018. Per Scholas is delighted to facilitate a partnership aligned with Best Buy’s initiative to inspire underserved youth to pursue careers in technology. Per Scholas will work closely with staff at Best Buy Teen Tech Centers Washington D.C. and Dallas, TX, to facilitate a series of engagements for local graduating high school seniors and high school juniors interested in careers in IT.

The project’s goal is to help young adults in Washington D.C. and Dallas, TX to identify educational and career pathways, as well as ensure a strong, sustainable pipeline to Per Scholas’ rigorous, hands-on IT training. Per Scholas will work closely with Teen Tech Center operators to understand their student’s unique needs and interests, as well as design a series of activities that fit within the schedules of each Tech Center. Per Scholas is a critical partner in connecting young adults who have become excited and engaged about tech through their time at the Teen Tech Center to the skills and networks they will need to turn that enthusiasm into a career.

“We are grateful to be aligned with a corporate partner like Best Buy, focused on helping young adults bridge the gap between their enthusiasm to fully fledged careers in technology,” says Bridgette Gray, Executive Vice President, Program, Per Scholas. “We are always exploring ways to strengthen accessible pathways and opportunities for youth. Partnerships with corporations invested in similar pathways will result in the future tech workforce and benefit our communities and the industry as a whole.”  

“Best Buy is seeking to prepare 1 million teens from underserved communities for tech-reliant jobs annually by 2020,” says Andrea Riehl, Manager, Community Relations at Best Buy.“ We believe that this work is vital to help solve a skills gap and to put teens on a path to college or careers. However, we can’t accomplish it alone. That’s why we’re partnering with nonprofits focused on tech education who can help us make a greater collective impact.”

For more information about Best Buy’s 2018 National Grant Partners, please visit: https://corporate.bestbuy.com/best-buy-giving-partnerships/.

About Per Scholas

Per Scholas is a national nonprofit that drives positive and proven social change in communities across the country. Through rigorous and tuition-free technology training and professional development, we prepare motivated and curious adults who are unemployed or underemployed for successful careers as IT professionals, and we create onramps to businesses in need of their talents. Today we provide our solutions in six cities across the country: Atlanta; Greater Cincinnati; Columbus, OH; Dallas, the National Capital Region and New York. To date, Per Scholas has trained 7,000 individuals, helping them build lasting, life-changing skills and careers in technology. To learn more, visit www.perscholas.org.

About Best Buy Teen Tech Centers

Best Buy Teen Tech Centers are a place where teens can develop critical skills through hands-on activities that explore their interests in programming, film-making, music production and design. Each location works to bridge the digital divide by giving youth access to tech education opportunities, relationships that help to build confidence, and a foundation for school and career success. A partnership with The Clubhouse Network connects members to a global community of over 100 clubhouses in 20 countries.

For Immediate Release: 03. 28. 2018

Contacts:

Jake McIntosh, Director, Strategic Communications, Per Scholas

jmcintosh@perscholas.org –  978.578.6821

New York – Per Scholas is thrilled to announce the addition of Eric Westphal to its National Board. Per Scholas is a national workforce nonprofit that provides rigorous and tuition-free technology training and professional development in careers such as IT in Atlanta, Ga.; Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio; Dallas, Texas; Washington, D.C. and New York. Per Scholas’ National Board provides leadership and guidance for carrying out the organization’s mission of opening doors to technology careers for individuals from often overlooked communities.

Westphal serves as Senior Director, Global Legal and Corporate Affairs for Cognizant.   Ranked No. 205 on the Fortune 500, Cognizant is a leading global technology and business services company, and a Champion Partner of Per Scholas since 2017.   Westphal joined the company in 2011 and is responsible for building and supporting Cognizant’s corporate brand and reputation through programs that drive social change and business value. He leads strategic investments in workforce development as well as initiatives related to Cognizant’s corporate social responsibility program in the United States.

Westphal was central to developing and implementing a recently launched custom Cognizant/Per Scholas training partnership designed to provide U.S. workers with access to skills training and hiring opportunities in the digital economy. In June 2017, Per Scholas and Cognizant announced the first scaled training and hiring partnership, opening a training center in The Bronx with the goal of training 650 individuals recruited from five boroughs. Cognizant and Per Scholas more recently launched a program in North Texas with the goal of training 1,000 individuals over the course of 36 months. Cognizant expects to hire the majority of graduates from both programs. Per Scholas and Cognizant teams work closely to ensure that students receive instruction on nuanced technical job specifications and business acumen.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to support Per Scholas in developing new innovative workforce development approaches that will significantly impact the future of work,” says Westphal. “The benefits of these programs will be seen well beyond the individual students. These are programs that can have positive impact in their families, neighborhoods and the business community.”

“Eric’s executive leadership deepens our understanding of sustainability as Per Scholas moves to scale our impact across the country. His passion for creating opportunity in overlooked communities aligns perfectly with our mission,” says Plinio Ayala, President & CEO for Per Scholas. “Eric’s background, building cross-sectoral partnerships, combines the expertise of public, private and nonprofit leaders and will support shared growth for Per Scholas business partners within the communities we serve.”

For more information on Per Scholas, visit: http://www.perscholas.org

About Per Scholas

Per Scholas is a national nonprofit that drives positive and proven social change in communities across the country. Through rigorous and tuition-free technology training and professional development, we prepare motivated and curious adults who are unemployed or underemployed for successful careers as IT professionals, and we create onramps to businesses in need of their talents. Today we provide our solutions in six cities across the country: Atlanta, GA; Greater Cincinnati, OH; Columbus, OH; Dallas, TX; the National Capital Region; and New York. To date, Per Scholas has trained more than 7,000 individuals, helping them build lasting, life changing skills and careers in technology.

On Monday, March 5 Platform by Per Scholas launched its first Software Support course at the new Dallas, Texas location with twenty-one students. Software Support (also known as “Application Support Management”) is an employer-driven, skills building course that prepares students to troubleshoot and prioritize application coding problems. The course curriculum has been customized by Per Scholas’ Champion Partner, Cognizant, and focuses on developing student skills to pursue a zero-maintenance approach. In addition, students will have access to Platform by Per Scholas’ Career Advancement team who will prepare them for career opportunities with employer partners.

 On June 16, 2017 Per Scholas and Cognizant partnered to create a New York City-based job training program with curriculum customized to fill nuanced job positions that Cognizant has available. In November of 2017, the partnership expanded to Dallas with plans to train 1,050 individuals over the course of 36 months, with Cognizant hiring as many as 750 of the program’s graduates. Courses will be hosted in two locations, at the new Cognizant delivery and training center in Irving, Texas and Platform by Per Scholas’ new training location in downtown Dallas. If you are interested in applying, or learning more about the partnership, click here.

More about Software Support: The course improves students’ coding knowledge on Java or C#, database maintenance/troubleshooting, Software Testing Lifecycle, ITIL principles and ITSM software to document and communicate Applications are on a rolling admissions basis and the next course is scheduled to start April 16, 2018. To learn more and apply, click here.

For Immediate Release: 02. 20. 2018

Contact:

Jake McIntosh, Director, Strategic Communications

jmcintosh@perscholas.org – 978.578.6821

New York, NY — Per Scholas is pleased to announce the addition of David Hannigan to its National Board. Per Scholas is a national workforce nonprofit that provides rigorous and tuition-free technology training and professional development in careers such as IT in Atlanta, GA; Cincinnati and Columbus, OH; Dallas, TX; Washington, D.C. and New York, NY. Per Scholas’ National Board provides leadership and guidance for carrying out the organization’s mission of opening doors to technology careers for individuals from often overlooked communities.

Hannigan serves as Chief Cyber Risk Officer for Capital One Financial Corporation, a Signature Partner of Per Scholas since 2011. He is a seasoned information security leader with nearly two decades of experience in data-sensitive industries including financial services, online retail, and pharmaceuticals. Prior to his role at Capital One, David was CISO for Sears Holding; CISO and Leader of Technical Operations at Zappos; and CISO, security engineer, and leader of security operations and compliance with the Ernst and Young national security practice. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Hannigan lives in Arlington, VA with his husband, Daniel.

As a founding board member of the Security Advisor Alliance, Hannigan has demonstrated his commitment to lending his wealth of knowledge and insight to the public good. Per Scholas is fortunate to benefit from his perspective, and grateful to welcome him to the National Board.

“It’s an honor to join the National Board for Per Scholas and advance their mission to help more young people thrive in today’s economy,” Hannigan said. “There is an insatiable demand for talent, and I believe one way we can solve that is to expand the traditional pools of candidates. I admire Per Scholas’ mission, as it addresses this problem with a very human approach and literally changes people’s lives. Capital One supports Per Scholas through our Future Edge initiative focused on helping more people get the skills, tools and resources they need to succeed in the 21st century.”

Hannigan’s addition exemplifies the continuing fruitful partnership between Per Scholas and Capital One. As a Signature Partner, Capital One supports Per Scholas sites in Dallas, TX, the Greater Washington D.C. region, and New York City. Capital One advised on the development of Per Scholas’ curriculum and facilities, including the contribution of a new Education Securities Operations Center (ESOC) in Silver Spring, MD. Additionally, Capital One hosted a Future Edge luncheon where they coached students on networking and provided mock interviews. Through the event HEART Empowers Capital One hosted Per Scholas students in Dallas for mock interviews and professional development training, providing key volunteer support through direct engagement with Per Scholas’ student body.

“As Per Scholas expands course offerings and facilities to cover IT Security, we are grateful to have David Hannigan join our National Board,” says Plinio Ayala, President and CEO of Per Scholas. “David is a leader with extensive experience in cyber risk management and his voice will translate into tangible value for our students.”

For more information on Per Scholas, visit: http://www.perscholas.org

About Per Scholas

Per Scholas is a national nonprofit that drives positive and proven social change in communities across the country. Through rigorous and tuition-free technology training and professional development, we prepare motivated and curious adults who are unemployed or underemployed for successful careers as IT professionals, and we create onramps to businesses in need of their talents. Today we provide our solutions in six cities across the country: Atlanta, GA; Greater Cincinnati, OH; Columbus, OH; Dallas, TX; the National Capital Region; and New York. To date, Per Scholas has trained 7,000 individuals, helping them build lasting, life changing skills and careers in technology.

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Sione Joseph is an artist. As a painter and sculptor, she once imagined a career in graphic design, and studied for two years at Dillard University in her home city of New Orleans. After the death of her dad, she left school and went to work. Working just to get by left her without the time or energy to pursue her creative passions, and without the means to afford art supplies.

“I’ve always been somebody who wants to create, to make things, to make things happen, to leave some version of myself behind on Earth after I’m not here anymore,” Sione says. “Having to put my art on hold to pay the bills was frustrating.”

At 25 years old, Sione has had a lot of jobs. She has taught pre-k. She has been a cook in a restaurant in New Orleans. She even worked for a time as a financial advisor. She has taken any job she could get to stay afloat. “Not everyone has the luxury to chase a career. I grew up really poor,” she says. “I would have worked any job to avoid going back to that.” Still, despite her diligence, she has experienced eviction and homelessness due to low wages. “I had a job, and I was doing everything that I was taught was right.”

She moved in with her sister in Arlington, Texas, and went to work for the State’s Housing and Human Services Department. She saw the job as a dead-end with no opportunity to advance, no potential to build a career, and once again, no time for her artwork.

Artwork by Sione Joseph

She had learned to love computers during her time at Dillard University, and had grown comfortable with technology through her graphic design classes. “I found Per Scholas while I was looking for jobs in technology. I didn’t think I would get in, because I didn’t have the experience, and most of what I knew about computers, I had taught myself.” She was surprised and excited to be accepted. The IT Support class at Per Scholas requires no prior experience, only resilience and a determination to learn. Sione embodied those attributes, and threw everything she had into her Per Scholas experience.

Sione worked nights as a concierge while going to Per Scholas during the day. Money was tight, but the staff at Per Scholas was supportive. “They helped me to get free city bus passes, and they were always asking if I needed anything,” she says. ”They were encouraging too. They would say ‘I know things are hard, but just push through. We believe in you.’”

Sione reflects on the strength of the bonds she forged with her classmates at Per Scholas: “We were all in such high stakes situations of our own, and while that would drive some people apart, it pulled us together.” Tragically, during the week of her final exam, a close friend of Sione’s died unexpectedly. Her Per Scholas family helped her through the loss. “It pushed me to do better, to have something to live for and to strive for. Everyone wanted to comfort me and pray with me. They’re honestly more like brothers and sisters to me now.”

With graduation approaching, wages from Sione’s job as a concierge were falling short of her expenses, and she felt that she was racing against the clock to find a job that would sustain her. Impressively, she got an interview at the second company that she applied to, and it wasn’t long until she had a job offer. Less than a week after she graduated from Per Scholas, Sione started a new job making more than $21 per hour.

“Working in Desktop Support is amazing. Being around people who love their job is amazing. Being at a company that cares if you like where you work is a major cultural shift. Everyone is in a creative get-up-and-go mode. It’s not a creaky old dinosaur.”

What makes Sione happiest is that she now has the time, energy, and means to pursue her artwork in her free time. She is painting and sculpting again for the first time in two years. She also enjoys refurbishing old furniture with her mom. “Now that that I have the time, and I’m in a position that I have excess money, it’s weird actually,” says Sione, reflecting on her newfound means. “A lot of people think that a job is a job, and a career is a career. But it isn’t separate from your personal life. Working a job that you hate drains you. Now when I go home, I still have energy left to create. That’s the greatest blessing that has come out of this–being able to get my creativity back.”

Sione can once again afford art supplies, thanks to her new career

On November 30, Cognizant announced it will open a new regional technology and service delivery center in Texas, in early 2018. Ten thousand square feet of the center will be allocated for training and workspace, designated to Per Scholas. Over the course of 36 months, Per Scholas plans to train 1,050 individuals, with Cognizant hiring as many as 750 of the program’s graduates. Cognizant’s $8 million expansion is supported by a Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) grant of $2,105,880. To read Texas Governor Abbott’s press release announcing the new delivery center, click here.

Per Scholas’ track record for success with industry and job specific courses is driven by employers’ tech talent needs. James Lennox, Chief People Officer at Cognizant, explains “The training programs we envision will help grow overall employment opportunities for Texas residents, and help Cognizant meet our continuing business needs for skilled talent.”

Trainings will be offered by Platform by Per Scholas, the customized training arm of the non profit that works closely with companies to build curriculum to meet hiring demands. This partnership will generate revenue that will strengthen and increase Per Scholas’ mission.

Cognizant has already benefited from the partnership with Per Scholas at the new Bronx Training Center in New York, which opened this summer. “Talent is not defined by your zip code,” says Per Scholas President & CEO, Plinio Ayala. “This partnership seeks to unearth talent that is often overlooked.”

In 2017, Per Scholas Dallas had an 89% certification rate and a 70% placement rate for graduates. With the expanded partnership, Per Scholas will serve over 300 students in 2018 in Texas. “We will continue to grow our support for unemployed and underemployed adults in Texas and across the United States, filling jobs that are open today with skills that are in demand” says Meghann Bridgeman, Managing Director, Per Scholas.

To learn more about training opportunities with Platform by Per Scholas or details about Cognizant’s partnership with Per Scholas, please visit www.platformbyps.org or email CognizantTraining@perscholas.org.  To read the press release announcing the partnership click here.

Per Scholas has been elevated as a model case study in a new resource to help banks actively engage workforce development partners to assist in fulfilling obligations under the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). The document has been published by the Federal Reserve Banks of Dallas and Kansas City,  “Engaging Workforce Development: A Framework for Meeting CRA Obligations” and provides “information, resources and case studies to help banks begin or expand their involvement with workforce development in their region” according to the January 12 Press Release.

The Community Reinvestment Act, one section of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1977 encourages commercial banks and savings associations to assist the needs of borrowers “in all segments of their communities, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.” The law was written and passed to support borrowers in lower-income brackets and protect segments of society from discriminatory or illegal credit lending policies.

Within the report, Per Scholas is one of four Workforce Development organizations demonstrating successful partnerships with financial institutions that support community investment and meet CRA criteria. These partnerships include significant financial investments on the part of financial institutions that have allowed Per Scholas to expand and build out classrooms to support an increase to their student population. The report elevates other significant areas of impact, scalability and sustainability that banks and their employees can provide. These include advisory and mentorship relationships with Per Scholas graduates and students, advising and developing strategies for impact and growth, fostering corporate partnerships, staff and fund development. Per Scholas also highlights the important leadership opportunity banks play spreading the word about Per Scholas successes across the local community.

According to Keith Lawing the president and chief executive officer of the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas “Workforce boards and local financial institutions share a common goal of increasing the overall wealth and economic well-being of a community.” The new toolkit provides a roadmap for financial institutions to better understand if a nonprofit demonstrates the necessary credentials to qualify for CRA purposes. Listed in the Press Release this toolkit includes:

• A list of common questions about CRA and where to find detailed answers

• Resources and activities from prominent workforce development organizations

• An extensive listing of workforce development organizations, including a synopsis of activities and checklist of how they are involved in workforce development

• A template for banks to tell their workforce development and CRA stories

This report, demonstrates unique ways that nonprofits are partnering with financial institutions to achieve mutual outcomes. Per Scholas and others workforce development partners are unique examples because they offer banks services that go well beyond simply meeting a CRA obligation. Per Scholas graduates work for a number of financial institutions across the country and the organization is recognized as a trusted pipeline for promising local talent.

Download report: http://bit.ly/2jbcDcJ

Check out past Monthly Impact Reports here.

Stories from our Ambassadors across the country.

NEW YORK

Sade Strachan

“My name is Sade Strachan, I’m 28 years old from the South Bronx. I graduated from Per Scholas May of 2016 receiving my A+ certification in IT Support. I now work for NCR Corporation as a Second Level Customer Engineer.” Read more.

ATLANTA

Vanessa Brown

“My name is Vanessa Brown, originally from Long Island, NY, but currently reside in Lawrenceville, GA. It is a suburb approximately 30 miles outside of Atlanta. I was one of the first graduates of the Long Island class sponsored by Per Scholas in 1997. My very first job after graduating was with IBM.” Read more.

DALLAS

Alex Hernandez

“My name is Alex Hernandez and I attended the first class held at Per Scholas’ Dallas campus that started back in March of 2015. I have lived in Dallas Texas my whole life and knew the struggles of finding decent employment in a competitive market all too well.  I truly believe that if I did not attend Per Scholas, I would still be working labor intensive jobs earning less than half of what I make today.” Read more.