Per Scholas and the Information Technology Senior Management Forum, partnered with global financial leader JPMorgan Chase & Co. to pioneer an innovative approach to building diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

The opportunity to partner with JPMorgan Chase strengthens an important connection between industry leaders and diversity experts in the workforce. The firm has partnered alongside Per Scholas for more than twenty years. They became one of the first Signature partner’s when Per Scholas officially launched our Corporate Engagement program three years ago. This Signature status reflects the company’s commitment to deeply investing and cultivating diverse talent pipelines for their workforce. The partnership emphasizes the company’s commitment to hiring Per Scholas graduates, volunteering staff hours for mock interviews and mentorship opportunities, as well as event sponsorship and board participation. Per Scholas and ITSMF are thankful for the continued collaboration and look forward to engaging employers and future leaders across the country with the support of JPMorgan Chase.

Diverse workforces offer a competitive edge in the market. In fact, research shows that diverse companies are 35 percent more likely to outperform their counterparts, yet 97 percent of domestic senior leadership teams fail to reflect the demographic composition of the United States.

Earlier this year, Per Scholas and ITSMF launched Diverse by Design, which offers a new platform for the organizations to build collective momentum and reshape our nation’s workforce.

The first event leaders to engage in conversations about successful models that rethink hiring systems and retention practices. With JPMorgan Chase’s support, Diverse by Design announced the National Working Group to move conversations about making workplaces more inclusive, equitable, and diverse to action.

The National Working Group is comprised of Fortune 500 thought leaders and partners focused on developing systems for hiring and retaining diverse talent across a number of sectors. The Working Group is led by co-chairs Toacca Rutherford, Chief Development Officer for Consumer Business Banking and Auto IT, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Gene Waddy Chief Executive Officer, DIVERSANT and includes 11 other members. The inaugural Diverse by Design event offered the opportunity for JPMorgan Chase to reaffirm financial support and investment in Per Scholas across multiple sites.

The second Diverse by Design convening  took place on December 13 in our nation’s Capital. Only weeks following the presidential election, the convening explored the intersection of public policy and private sector diversity initiatives, driving action aimed at fostering more diverse and inclusive workplaces. The audience, composed of C-suite executives and workforce representatives from across the East Coast experienced a State of the Nation address by Chair Jenny Yang of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The event also featured a keynote conversation, panel discussions and ignite presentations. National Working Group chair Toacca Rutherford offered remarks on behalf of the Working Group, while Terrance Bowman, Vice President and Diversity Lead for Global Technology Recruiting, moderated an impassioned panel discussion between public and private sector representatives.

The firm’s most recent contribution to Diverse by Design reinforces JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s commitment to investing in conversations linked to diverse hiring, inclusion and retention practices.

To learn more about Diverse by Design please visit www.diversebydesign.org.

Check out past Monthly Impact Reports here.

Born and raised in New York City, Marc attended college in New Haven, Connecticut, and started pursuing a pre-­med degree. However, all wasn’t smooth sailing for Marc. After two years, he couldn’t afford the pricey $40,000 annual tuition; even with student loans, Marc was forced to drop out.

To make ends meet, Marc took a job at MAC Cosmetics, but the position failed to provide any upward mobility. “Furthering my career really matters to me,” shared Marc. Needing a change, Marc started thinking of his knack for technology, often pegged by family members to fix their computers and cell phones. “I have always been IT savvy, but there was no set path into IT in front of me,” he told us. “My friend said to me, ‘Certifications are the key to getting a foot in the door of the tech industry.’”

He immediately started his search for any training programs specifically focused on certifications and came across Per Scholas. “I thought to myself, this is probably too good to be true. There is no way this is free. They are definitely going to want some of my paycheck after.”

He was, of course, proven wrong. He went through the lengthy admissions process which includes an adult education test and multiple interviews with National Capital Region staff. “Once I met the staff, I was really hoping I got in.” 

Marc was accepted. He told us, “I’ve always done things on my computer, but I wasn’t prepared. The course was pretty difficult…I thought it was going to be easier. Time and attendance is critical. I left my house 2 hours early just to make sure that I got there on time, and I only live 30 minutes away.”

Once he adjusted to the heavy workload and hours, Marc found his stride. He says that the Career Development portion of the course was really helpful to his confidence and composure, specifically the resume critique, LinkedIn coaching, and public speaking coaching. “I hate interviews and public speaking, but [Director of Business Solutions and Career Services] Peyton really helped walked us through what to do.”

The final hurdle in the journey was passing exams and finding a job. Marc shared, “I was confident that I would pass, but at the same time I had lingering doubt. It’s scary because you study so hard for the test.” Fortunately, he passed both the 801 and 802 tests the first time, earning his A+ certification. He says, “I was ecstatic. I thought, ‘YES FINALLY!’”

As graduation approached, Marc started putting his career development training to the test by setting up interviews with many different technology companies. “I wanted to work somewhere where I felt at home,” he said. Three weeks after graduation and four interviews later, Marc was hired at Design Data, an IT consulting firm. “This job has the potential to take me somewhere,” Marc said.

Looking back, if Marc hadn’t found Per Scholas, he would still be in the stockroom at MAC Cosmetics with little chance of a lucrative career. In the future, he hopes to build a life in the NCR with his girlfriend Ashley, who supported him throughout the Per Scholas journey. He also wants to learn more about technology by experiencing a variety of different aspects of the industry. He shared, “I like that in IT, you can never stop learning. There is so much to learn. Everything I do, I am thinking about IT. It keeps you on your toes.”

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.

Per Scholas is joining General Assembly at it’s first ever Career Lab events in New York, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta on February 11. Career Lab is a one-day event in cities across the country with leaders in tech to help start or advance individual’s careers in top tech fields. Professionals at all experience levels can explore new paths to success in the competitive fields of web development, data, user experience design, digital marketing, and product management.

In all cities, participants will hear about opportunities in tech, take a career aptitude test and a career next step class, learn about data science, digital marketing, coding, visual design, JavaScript, UX Design, and more. The full day event will include networking opportunities and a chance to hear from experts about the region’s tech ecosystem. No matter an individual’s current role or field, this career event will arm participants with the motivation and tools needed to find or pursue their passion.

Reserve your spot today in Washington, D.C., New York, and Atlanta.

Check out past Monthly Impact Reports here.

Per Scholas is joining General Assembly at its first-ever Career Lab events in New York, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta on February 11. Career Lab is a one-day event in cities across the country with leaders in tech to help start or advance individual’s careers in top tech fields. Professionals at all experience levels can explore new paths to success in the competitive fields of web development, data, user experience design, digital marketing, and product management.

In all cities, participants will hear about opportunities in tech, take a career aptitude test and a career next step class, learn about data science, digital marketing, coding, visual design, JavaScript, UX Design, and more. The full day event will include networking opportunities and a chance to hear from experts about the region’s tech ecosystem. No matter an individual’s current role or field, this career event will arm participants with the motivation and tools needed to find or pursue their passion.

Reserve your spot today in Washington, D.C., New York, and Atlanta.

On Tuesday, December 13, 2016, Per Scholas and the Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF) hosted the second Diverse by Design, a conversation series about building diversity and inclusion in the workforce. The event, hosted at Google’s headquarters in D.C., included nearly 150 guests comprising of C-Suite individuals, employer partners, public servants, and leaders from nonprofits and foundations, who elevated best practices and partnerships to build an inclusive and diverse workforce.

The afternoon was kicked off by Damien Howard, VP of Social Ventures at Per Scholas who got attendees fired up and ready to go and reminded us all, “smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” Shortly thereafter, Melissa Stallings, Managing Director of the National Capital Region with Per Scholas shared some local insights, elevating pipelines and partnerships in the D.C. region. Melissa shared the story of a recent Per Scholas graduate, Renique King, who had this to say about her time at Per Scholas: “During my studies, I embraced the culture, staff, my instructor, my classmates, and each day of lessons. Every day I learned something new about IT and myself.” Melissa set the tone for the rest of the afternoon with this quote: “Let today’s event be what spurs you into action to put into place or further develop strategic and thoughtful initiatives that create and sustain an inclusive, equitable, and innovative tech ecosystem.”

Co-Chairs of the National Working Group, Toacca Rutherford, Chief Development Officer, Consumer Business Banking and Auto IT, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Gene Waddy, CEO at DIVERSANT took the stage to share stories from their careers and continued investment in the Diverse by Design movement. Toacca emphasized the need to create pathways for untapped talent and hopes that one day, “#diversebydesign” will be a verb like “Google.”

Chair Jenny Yang, of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, charged the audience to increase diversity by embedding equality, broadening networks, and evaluating benefits, she shared an awesome resource: The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Action Grid on how to promote diversity and inclusion in the science and technology workforces.

Dr. Talmesha Richards, Chief Academic and Diversity Officer, STEMconnector and Million Women Mentor, was the 1st of two Ignite presentations scheduled for the afternoon. Her harrowing tale involved a fellow student explaining that she would never win a math competition because she was “a girl.” The audience learned, not only did she win the competition but she continued on a multi-year winning streak and brought the entire audience to a round of applause. She ended her speech firmly stating “With STEM mentoring everyone wins. With #Diversity, EVERYONE wins.”

The momentum from Dr. Talemsha Richards, carried over into a powerhouse panel, introduced by Errika Mallet, led by Terrance Bowman, JPMorgan Chase & Co. On stage, D.C. Deputy Mayor Courtney Snowden, Jamika Burge, Capital One, Chanelle Hardy, Google, Marty Rodgers, Accenture and Nicole Cozier with the Human Rights Campaign discussed cross-cutting and collaborative partnerships between private and public spheres. The panel also emphasized success stories from their own companies. Chanelle Hardy was able to share that a Mexican American employee at Google attributed his idea for a blue colored phone to his heritage and the result was millions in revenue for Google. The panelists agreed that in order for a company to succeed in their diversity efforts, leadership needs to have the “tough conversations.” Some choice quotes from the panel include:

• “Diversity is like being invited to the party and inclusion is being asked to dance”- Jamika Burge, Capital One
• “Talent is ubiquitous, but opportunity is not. Looking for untapped talent? Go to where the untapped talent is.” – Courtney Snowden, DC Deputy Mayor
• “When you’re in that power seat, ask the hard questions” – Chanelle Hardy, Google

Per Scholas’ Kenneth Walker, VP of Operations introduced the Keynote conversation between Michael Bennett, Executive Vice President at Evan & Chambers Technology and Viola Maxwell-Thompson, President at ITSMF.

During the conversation, Michael Bennett walked through his decision to shift from a career in law to tech. His efforts to promote diversity focused on being intentional and ensuring that he hired “someone who sees the world a little differently” When looking at current diversity efforts by organizations, Michael pointed out, “the pipeline does not matter if the organizational chart stays the same. He shared five leadership principals with the audience that he believe are necessary to building diverse and inclusive workplaces. They include:

• Authenticity
• Carefully Weighted Decisions
• Integrated Thought Leadership
• Trust Your Gut
• Servant Leadership

The final Ignite presentation from Tonia Wellons, VP for Community Investment with The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, focused on her career and journey embracing culture and inclusion as pillars within her work.

Viola Maxwell-Thompson of ITSMF closed us out but asked the audience to remain engaged with Diverse by Design as we continue to elevate and model real solutions creating impact on diversity and inclusion numbers across our nation’s workforce.

“Thank you to all who attended,” Kenneth Walker of Per Scholas shared, “Thank you to each of our guests for joining us in a dynamic and intentional conversation. Collaboration and partnership are the keys to our success and we are fortunate to be learning alongside industry leaders in both public and private spheres and hope to carry this momentum forward into 2017.”

Here is how you can keep the momentum going!

• Continue to use #DiverseByDesign on your social media platforms when talking about diversity and inclusion. Tag @PerScholas and @itsmfonline!
• Encourage a colleague or friend to join our Diverse by Design mailing list by clicking here. 
• Diversity Leadership Action Grid referenced by EEOC Chair Jenny Yang and the Pathways to Inclusion report produced by District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser.
• For more information

To learn more about our panelists and speakers, visit our speakers page here. Many thanks to our  partners at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Google for their generous support of Diverse by Design.

National Leaders in Business, Technology, and Philanthropy Form Cross-Sector National Working Group to Bridge the Gap Between Underrepresented Populations and U.S. Tech Jobs

National Leaders in Business, Technology, and Philanthropy Form Cross-Sector National Working Group to Bridge the Gap Between Underrepresented Populations and U.S. Tech Jobs

Per Scholas and the Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF) hosted the second Diverse by Design on Tuesday, December 13, 2016 in the nation’s capital.

The event was hosted at Google and brought together nearly 150 c-suite executives, employer partners, public servants, and leaders from the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors to discuss the role and impact of public-private partnerships in building an inclusive and diverse tech workforce. Damien Howard, VP of Social Ventures at Per Scholas opened the afternoon by highlighting the need for crosscutting collaborative solutions to drive progress toward creating a truly representative tech workforce.

WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS

• Damien Howard, National Vice President, Social Ventures, Per Scholas
• Melissa Stallings, Managing Director, Per Scholas
• Toacca Rutherford, Chief Development Officer, Consumer Business Banking and Auto IT, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Gene Waddy, CEO, DIVERSANT

STATE OF THE NATION

• Chair Jenny Yang, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Jenny Yang shared insights from her career working to ensure fairness and equal opportunity in the workplace and charged the audience to think about and act on ways they can embed equality, broaden networks, and evaluate benefits to attract and retain diverse talent within their organizations. Yang provided attendees with copies of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Action Grid on how to promote diversity and inclusion in the science and technology workforces.

IGNITE PRESENTATION

• Talmesha Richards, Chief Academic and Diversity Officer, STEMconnector and Million Women Mentor

Dr. Richards shared a harrowing tale of how she overcame criticism and doubts from peers who didn’t think she could succeed in math and science because of her gender and her race. She discussed the importance of mentorship and the role it played in helping her achieve her goals, including receiving a Ph.D. in Cellular & Molecular Medicine from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, serving as a NFL Cheerleader where she helped to challenge stereotypes and encourage young people to pursue their interests in science, technology, engineering and math.

PANEL: EXAMINING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES

• Presented by Errika Mallett, VP of Member services & External Affairs, ITSMF
• Moderated by Terrance Bowman, VP and Diversity Lead, Global Technology Recruiting, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Courtney Snowden, D.C. Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Opportunity
• Nicole Cozier, Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Human Rights Campaign
• Dr. Jamika Burge, Senior Manager, Research, Curriculum, and Outreach, Capital One
• Chanelle Hardy, Strategic Outreach and Public Policy Partnerships, Google
• Marty Rodgers, Washington, D.C. Metro Office Managing Director, Accenture

Partnership panel participants shared business success stories that illustrated the organizational culture and bottom line impacts of a representative workforce.

KEYNOTE CONVERSATION

• Presented by Ken Walker, VP, National Site Operations, Per Scholas
• Moderated by Viola Maxwell-Thompson, President & CEO, ITSMF
• Michael Bennett, Executive Vice President, Strategy, Evan & Chambers Technology

During a conversation between Evan & Chambers Technology Executive Vice President Michael Bennett and ITSMF President Viola Maxwell-Thompson, Bennett shared the experiences that led him to leave a career as an attorney to pursue an interest in technology. He discussed the critical need for organizations to be intentional in ensuring that their workforce includes individuals who bring diverse experiences and perspectives in order to move the company forward. When discussing current diversity initiatives and ways to cultivate a more diverse senior staff he pointed out “the pipeline does not matter if the organizational chart stays the same.

IGNITE PRESENTATION

• Tonia Wellons, Vice President for Community Investment, The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region

Tonia focused on her career and journey embracing culture and inclusion as pillars within her work.

CLOSING REMARKS

• Viola Maxwell-Thompson, President, ITSMF

In recognition of Per Scholas’ commitment to opening doors to technology careers for individuals from often overlooked communities, the DC Catalogue for Philanthropy announced that Per Scholas will be included in its 2016-2017 edition.  

The Catalogue for Philanthropy is the National Capital Region’s guide to local giving. The carefully cultivated guide aims to create strong and vibrant communities by connecting caring citizens with worthy community causes. Since 2003, the Catalogue has raised more than $30 million for its network of local, vetted charities.