In the rapidly evolving tech landscape of Indianapolis, finding job-ready entry-level talent is a perennial challenge for many firms. For Bell Techlogix, a leader in managed IT services and holistic IT lifecycle management, the solution wasn’t found in traditional job boards—it was found in a revitalized partnership with Per Scholas.

While the relationship originally began when Per Scholas opened its Indianapolis campus in 2023, it reached a new level of “immediate connection” in 2024. With a fresh wave of HR leadership and a shared vision for the local workforce, the partnership was fully activated. Since then, Bell Techlogix has hired seven Per Scholas graduates into critical IT Support roles, creating a reliable pipeline of diverse, high-caliber talent.

The transition from a learner to a professional at Bell Techlogix is rigorous. Shaira Shelton, Talent Acquisition Manager, and Dayana Tellez, Talent Acquisition & Onboarding Advisor, have watched Per Scholas technologists navigate this transition with remarkable speed.

“When we’re bringing on service desk analysts from Per Scholas, they go through an intensive five-day learning and development session,” explains Shaira Shelton. “They then go onto a specific account and are trained on how that specific customer likes to be communicated with. We’ve seen technologists from Per Scholas move into deeper troubleshooting levels faster than some of the other talent  we’ve hired.”

Dayana Tellez notes that the feedback from team managers has been overwhelmingly positive: “I’ve connected with the managers these new hires report to. They’ve filled the gap, are exceeding expectations, and are hitting the marks exactly where they are needed. Per Scholas has definitely been a really good partner when it comes to diversifying our applicants and our pipeline.”

One of the most insightful parts of the partnership is Bell Techlogix’s outlook on the future of the workforce. While the industry is buzzing about AI, Shaira and Dayana argue that the “human element” is becoming more valuable, not less. They’ve moved away from the term “soft skills,” preferring to call them “Power Skills” or “Essential Skills.”

“We still need to support entry-level IT professionals. While AI can help with back-end work, we still need the human element—the problem-solving, communication, and reliability. We’re seeing those ‘Power Skills’ in the talent coming from Per Scholas,” Shaira shares.

What truly cements this partnership is that Bell Techlogix doesn’t just wait for resumes to hit their inbox; they help write the success stories. Shaira, Dayana, and the wider Bell Techlogix team are active volunteers in Per Scholas Professional Development (PD) classes. From conducting mock interviews to providing direct feedback on what the industry currently lacks, they are deeply embedded in the curriculum.

“It’s so much more rewarding than just sending over a job posting,” Shaira reflects. “Going to the graduations has been great—especially after doing mock interviews and then seeing them walk across the stage. You start to feel a sense of pride. You want to help them reach their goals.”

This feedback loop is a two-way street. When Bell Techlogix identifies a specific skill gap (referred to as “X, Y, or Z” in the field), the Per Scholas instructional team adapts.

“We’ll give feedback and say, ‘Hey, they’re missing X,’ and then the next round of candidates comes prepared with it. Having that back-and-forth is something that’s really rare,” adds Shaira.

As Bell Techlogix looks toward the future, its goal is simple: Hire more. They view Per Scholas as the first stop when a new role opens up.

By hiring graduates like Jacob Mashmeyer, who transitioned from a learner to an alumni speaker at his own graduation, Bell Techlogix is proving that the Indianapolis IT market is vibrant, diverse, and ready for the future.

“We look forward to continuing to hire and partner as we move into the rest of the year and beyond,” Shaira concludes. “We just think the world of Per Scholas, really.”

At American Art Clay Co. (AMACO), the mission is to provide high-quality materials that help artists bring their visions to life. But recently, a different kind of “shaping” has been taking place within their IT department. Through a strategic partnership with Per Scholas, AMACO has discovered a new standard for technical excellence, customer service, and community reinvestment.

When IT Director Marty Dickerson took over the department, he faced a significant challenge. The IT team’s internal reputation was struggling. The goal was to transform the support desk into a high-level service department that empowered the rest of the company.

Marty, an active member and mentor within the Society for Information Management (SIM), a national network for IT leaders, found a natural ally in Per Scholas. Through his connection with Theron Wilson, Managing Director of Per Scholas Indianapolis and fellow SIM colleague, Marty realized that the solution to his talent gap lay in a program that emphasizes both technical grit and professional polish.

Enter Karl Kuehn, a Per Scholas graduate who arrived at AMACO with a “fire” that immediately caught leadership’s attention. Even during a rigorous interview process, Karl stood out for his technical knowledge and his exceptional communication skills.

“I have specific things I look for in potential employees and resumes,” says Ted Shockey, Senior IT Technician and Karl’s direct mentor. “Karl hit most of those for me. I can teach anybody how to fix something; I can teach you the steps. But I can’t teach you the soft skills, how to deal with people. At a point, you either know how to do it or you don’t. Karl was given the tools to show he can, and he does.”

Starting as a Junior Technician, Karl had an immediate impact. He has since been promoted to IT Technician, demonstrating that the Per Scholas blueprint produces professionals ready for rapid career progression.

The hallmark of Karl’s tenure at AMACO was a project that neither Marty nor Ted saw coming. Assigned to overhaul a production-side application, Karl went beyond fixing the existing bugs and reimagined the tool from the ground up.

“He took that project and knocked it out of the park at a level neither of us foresaw,” Marty recalls. “When he went through an alpha test with us, it was amazing. It was a level beyond. It made things easier for our production personnel, and they’ve already forgotten all they had to go through with the previous application.”

For AMACO, the impact was clear: Karl wasn’t just maintaining their systems; he was innovating on their behalf. For this Per Scholas alumnus, the impact was a life-changing career path where his work is valued at the highest levels of the company.

What makes the AMACO and Per Scholas partnership unique is its “full circle” nature. The impact goes both ways:

1. Talent for AMACO: The company gained a high-performing, culture-fit Per Scholas technician who required minimal onboarding. “If you could get me another person even close to Karl’s skill levels… I’d take all I could,” Ted says.
2. Hardware for Per Scholas: AMACO recognizes that for learners to succeed, they need physical equipment to practice on. Marty has facilitated the donation of “aged-out” laptops to Per Scholas labs. “It’s great that we have hardware we can contribute to support that effort,” Marty explains. “It’s a small way to sow back into the organization and say thanks.”
3. Mentorship for the Community: Through the SIM connection and professional development projects, AMACO leadership stays engaged with the Per Scholas mission, ensuring the curriculum remains aligned with real-world employer needs.

As AMACO looks toward the future, including upcoming retirements and departmental shifts, they aren’t worried about where their next great hire will come from. They already know the way to Per Scholas.

“The confidence Per Scholas built into him is a huge factor in his success here,” Marty says. 

By blending the “how” of technology with the “how to deliver,” Per Scholas has provided AMACO with more than an employee. They’ve partnered with talent dedicated to the same artistry and care that go into every piece of clay they produce.

Indianapolis, December 3, 2024 – Per Scholas Indianapolis received a $75,000 grant from Glick Philanthropies to support economic mobility opportunities in the tech workforce. Glick Philanthropies – a family of charitable initiatives dedicated to building community and creating opportunity that empowers everyone to reach their full potential – recently announced more than $1.86 million in grants to 40 nonprofit organizations.

With this grant, Per Scholas Indianapolis will continue to support the community’s needs by providing tuition-free tech training to individuals traditionally underrepresented in tech, helping them launch high-growth careers, and partnering with employers to build sustainable and diverse talent pipelines.

Theron Wilson, Managing Director of Per Scholas Indianapolis stated, “We are so honored and grateful for this generous gift to help further our mission in the local and surrounding communities of Indianapolis. This grant will help power economic development by building a more diverse, skilled, and thriving technological workforce.”

Glick Philanthropies awards grants to tax-exempt organizations serving central Indiana and communities where Glick Company-managed properties are located. Grants support efforts to:

Build Community

• Provide affordable housing
• Support a healthy democracy
• Strengthen Jewish cultural life

Create Opportunity

• Expand equitable opportunities in the arts
• Close education achievement gaps
• Improve access to basic needs
• Increase economic mobility

“Nonprofit organizations are uniquely positioned to understand community members’ needs, partner with them to provide support, and connect them to essential resources,” said Marianne Glick, chair of the Glick Family Foundation. “At Glick Philanthropies, our role is to walk alongside these nonprofit organizations to build community and create opportunity. We hope these grants empower our nonprofit partners to reach more people with thoughtful, innovative programs.”

For more information about Per Scholas Indianapolis’s work, please visit https://perscholas.org/locations/indianapolis/. For more information about Glick Philanthropies, visit glickphilanthropies.org.

About Per Scholas

Per Scholas Indianapolis is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that prepares learners to enter the technology workforce through intensive training in both Technical Skills and Professional Development. In addition to skills training, Per Scholas provides individuals often excluded from tech careers access to employer networks. Per Scholas envisions a technology workforce as diverse as the customers it serves.

About Glick Philanthropies 

Glick Philanthropies is an Indianapolis-based family of charitable initiatives dedicated to building community and creating opportunity that empowers every person to reach their full potential. Glick Philanthropies includes Glick Family Foundation, Glick Housing Foundation, the Glick Fund at Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), and the Glick Fund at Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis (JFGI). Since 1982, we have awarded $320 million to charitable causes in