Per Scholas Newark Set to Train More than 200 Technologists in 2022

Jessica Zorola Joins Tech Training Nonprofit as Managing Director

NEWARK, N.J. (March 16, 2022) — Per Scholas Newark recently welcomed Jessica Zorola as Managing Director, leading the national nonprofit’s technology training efforts in Newark, New Jersey. Per Scholas Newark is set to train more than 200 technologists in the year ahead in skills ranging from IT Support, Software Engineering, AWS re/Start, and Cybersecurity. 

“I believe in Per Scholas’s powerful vision that a thriving workforce starts with an equitable access to education. Per Scholas is an anchor institution within the community, poised to close the digital divide in Newark,” said Jessica Zorola, Per Scholas Newark Managing Director. “Our graduates demonstrate that having access to in-demand tech and professional skills training creates a thriving, diverse tech workforce for the Newark business economy.”

In mid-February, 15 learners successfully graduated from an IT Support cohort, earning industry credentials including the CompTIA A+ certification and Google IT Support Professional Certificate. and increasing their knowledge and skills to fill a wide range of entry-level technology jobs. Aligned with Per Scholas’s commitment to advance equity and increase opportunity in technology, 100 percent of this cohort are people of color and nearly 50 percent identify as women.  

“I’m so grateful to be able to embark on this exciting new career path,” reflected graduate Angelique Adolph. “Armed with solid tech training and industry-recognized certifications, I look forward to securing a job as an IT Support professional and to continuing my education toward becoming a Cybersecurity Analyst.” Angelique experienced a pandemic-related job loss in July 2021 and soon after applied to tech training offered by Per Scholas. 

One of Per Scholas Newark’s newest partners and key supporters of this specific IT Support cohort is The Arman Roy Foundation, a local organization committed to bridging the digital divide for the last three years in honor of Arman Roy, a compassionate young man with a gift for technology. Founder and Chairperson Manisha Roy served as the keynote speaker at graduation, commending learners for making an investment in their own education, the hard work, and sacrifice required to achieve this milestone, and for being able to write their own unique chapter on success. 

“Our partnership with Per Scholas has been a natural and seamless one because both of our organizations are committed to improving equity through access to technology training and job placement so that all motivated students who work hard to achieve their goals can look forward to a bright future, regardless of where they have come from,” said Minal Mosca, Arman Roy Foundation Board Member, and Arman’s aunt. “We are excited about a strong future of collaboration with Per Scholas.” 

To learn more about Per Scholas Newark, please visit www.PerScholas.org/Newark. 

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 17 cities, Per Scholas has trained more than 16,000 individuals in tech skills, building bridges to careers in technology. To learn more, visit PerScholas.org and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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This month, Per Scholas Newark returned to campus for the first time since the pandemic hit, in a hybrid model that includes both in-person and remote learning.  Prudential has been present throughout our remote training, including welcoming our learners back to in-person training on our first day back.  Prudential’s VP of Design and Development Solutions, David Heafitz, arrived for our hybrid model launch on November 15 to welcome our learners and instructors back and provide thought leadership as a partner.  “There is a camaraderie and spark that ignites learning in an in-person setting,” Heafitz reflected.  “I am thrilled to take part in the re-launch of in-person training at Per Scholas Newark and see the impact hands-on training will have on these learners.”

Per Scholas Newark is one of the first campuses to transition back to in-person training in over eighteen months in a hybrid model that offers remote learning as well.  For our IT Support Instructor, King Oquendo, there is a lot of excitement and hope for upcoming cohorts as we return to campus.  “Being back in a hybrid class is a great step back into normalcy. Learners will get back to hands-on training while at the same time learning to work as a team via the class video conference room/breakout rooms,” noted Oquendo.  “As we enter a new world where remote work is more essential than ever before, we here at Per Scholas are adapting with the real world, training and providing the foundation for a successful IT career.”

Since the start of our partnership in 2018, more than 100 Prudential employees have generously contributed their time to inspire and guide our learners on their tech career journeys through events including mock interviews, fireside chats, and resume reviews. Throughout the pandemic, Prudential’s employees have continued to support our learners through virtual volunteering events. One of our local Per Scholas Newark advisory board members, Min Zhang, is the Database Administration Director at Prudential and has been very involved in our Per Scholas Newark campus.  

Prudential is a Founding Partner of Per Scholas Newark and has provided critical support to launch and sustain Newark since 2018. Since our first cohort in 2019, Per Scholas Newark has trained 221 learners. We are grateful for our ongoing partnership between Prudential and Per Scholas Newark, where the most recent investment will provide support to more than 500 learners through 2023, enrolling 528 learners in training tracks including cloud data management, software engineering, network support, and cybersecurity as a way to meet local employer needs. 

September was a busy month for Per Scholas!  We were featured in various media outlets that showcased our President and CEO Plinio Ayala and the impact of a few of our seventeen locations.  Did you read the OpEd Plinio Ayala wrote for New York Daily News on the job market and how creating a more inclusive labor market for employers and employees is beneficial for the country or see that Per Scholas was named a top tech program preparing youth to build the future in Baltimore?  Per Scholas Newark also made waves in September in the headlines striving for job equity while one of our Dallas graduates was featured in Parade Magazine.

Plinio Ayala penned an opinion piece for New York Daily News on creating a more inclusive labor market for employers and employees. “By prioritizing funding for evidence-based programs, we can do a better job of ensuring that federal legislation is actually supporting economic mobility rather than just funding nonprofits,” he mentions.  In this essay, titled ‘The Missing Link in Biden’s Jobs Plan,’ Ayala reflects on how tech training programs such as Per Scholas are able to bridge the gap between the abundance of open jobs and individuals with the skills necessary to fill them. “As the president and CEO of Per Scholas, a nonprofit that provides tuition-free training for careers in the technology sector, I’ve seen firsthand the impact programs like these can have on transforming workers’ careers, advancing economic mobility, and positively impacting local economies.”

Per Scholas Newark was featured in New Jersey Business Magazine in an article focused on Newark’s commitment to equitable access to bridge the digital divide.  Per Scholas Newark’s Managing Director LaToya Ball noted, “Per Scholas Collaborates with industry-leading employers to build more diverse talent pools, directly connecting our graduates to new career opportunities in fields such as IT support, cybersecurity, AWS re/Start, and software engineering.”  Days before that publication, the Arman Roy Foundation hosted their 3rd Annual Run for Hope 5k in partnership with Per Scholas Newark.  The 5k was in-person and had a virtual run option as well and raised over $30k towards their mission of bridging the digital divide and creating equity and opportunity for disadvantaged young adults.  

Tara Jacobs, a Per Scholas Dallas 2020 graduate, was featured in Parade Magazine for their annual ‘What People Earn’ issue.  Tara was showcased on the cover of the publication and noted that because of Per Scholas, she has been able to launch her career in tech.  “I serve as the first line of contact within the Service Desk to resolve issues for our customers: troubleshooting, technical support, system set-up, and all things related to customer service. It’s a career I could have never envisioned for myself if not for the tuition-free tech training I received from Per Scholas,” she noted.

Additionally, Per Scholas was named a top tech program preparing youth to build the future in Baltimore by Technical.ly.  This is a great recognition noting the impact of Per Scholas in the Baltimore community that we are so proud to have read about.  We are excited to continue our efforts to connect individuals underrepresented in the tech industry with thriving tech careers. 

With so much great representation in the news in September, we are thrilled to see our impact as we head into the last quarter of the year.  Stay tuned to see how we close the book in 2021!