On August 9th, Per Scholas Greater Boston celebrated the graduation of its inaugural customized training cohort in Java Development. Powered by Champion partner, TEKsystems, twenty-two students completed their training and will enter into the workforce as newly minted Full-Stack Java Developers. Over ¼ of the class resides in the Boston or Cambridge areas, with others having commuted from locations as close as Brighton and as far as Nashua.

“Per Scholas Greater Boston is on track to train more than 80 individuals this year – with plans to grow over the next several. We will do this with the support of everyone here in this room – and our goal is to deepen our networks so that classes will be diverse representations of the many people, neighborhoods, and backgrounds represented across Greater Boston,” states Alanna Hughes, Managing Director, Customized Training for Per Scholas Greater Boston in her opening remarks.

Keynote speeches were delivered by industry leaders Faith Johnson, VP of Human Resources and Talent Acquisitions at TEKsystems, and Paul English, CTO and Co-Founder of Lola.com.

Per Scholas Greater Boston is the first of three Per Scholas sites this year to launch customized training tracks powered by TEKsystems. Philadelphia and Detroit launched in late July. The partnership aims to provide tuition-free training for more than 540 job-seekers for cutting-edge jobs in technology over the next three years.

“This partnership is truly a testament to what is possible when committed individuals – with varying expertise and a common goal – come together to prepare a diverse and competent technical workforce for the future,” continues Alanna. “Beyond the business opportunity that this presents, we are building pathways of opportunity and economic mobility within the Greater Boston community, and given Per Scholas’s reach, nationally.”

Keynote speakers Faith Johnson, VP of Human Resources and Talent Acquisitions, TEKsystems; Paul English, CTO and Co-Founder, Lola.com

On July 26th, Per Scholas Newark celebrated their first graduating cohort in IT Support. The commencement activities occurred at the historic Newark Public Library, which traces its beginnings to the Newark Library Association formed in 1847.

Thank you to all the family and friends who attended and celebrated alongside of our graduates and their incredible accomplishments!

Per Scholas Newark Graduation Program

WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS
Dante Wade, Manager, Employer Partnerships, Per Scholas

GUEST SPEAKERS & REMARKS
David Heifitz, Vice President, Global Business and Technology Solutions (GBTS), Prudential

VALEDICTORIAN REMARKS
Jeremy Morel

PRESENTATION OF CORE VALUES AWARDS
Sierra Harvey, Manager, Career Advancement, Per Scholas

CLOSING REMARKS
Jade Nesbeth, Project Manager, Global Security, Prudential
Per Scholas Alumna