Per Scholas and Thrive Offer a Bold Solution to Shortage of IT Professionals in Greater Cincinnati Region

Per Scholas is partnering with Thrive Urban Impact Sourcing to provide real solutions for the 3,000 unfilled IT jobs in the Greater Cincinnati region. In a city where 25% of the population fall below the poverty line, Thrive’s partnership with Per Scholas provides these families with an opportunity to move past an overwhelming number of barriers to advancement and toward a life of freedom and prosperity.

Together with Per Scholas’ free, high-quality technology education and job training, participants will attend an 8-week training program to prepare individuals from the Greater Cincinnati region for positions as quality assurance software testers. Training is conducted in a lab-based, instructor-led environment where students are given access to real-life projects, and participate in field studies to learn alongside professionals. By the end, participants will have acquired industry leading testing skills and techniques.

Thrive will provide graduates an opportunity for continued growth and development with full-time positions in their Urban Outsource Center. Once paired with seasoned IT mentors, along with continuous training, lives will be transformed.

Thrive has committed to hiring 50% of the Per Scholas quality assurance software testing graduates, however has exceed that amount with over 80% of the graduates being offered positions between the two classes. “This relationship is validation that our approach works to both serve the employer community by providing a valuable talent pipeline as well as preparing motivated and curious adults for life-changing careers in technology,” affirmed Paul Cashen, Managing Director of Per Scholas Cincinnati.

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 un- 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; Cincinnati and Columbus, OH; Dallas, TX; the National Capital Region; and New York, NY. To date, Per Scholas has trained more than 6,000 individuals, helping them build lasting, life-changing skills and careers in technology. For more information, visit perscholas.org, Twitter @PerScholas and Facebook.

Thrive Impact Sourcing exists to reshape the socioeconomic trajectory of Cincinnati’s most disadvantaged populations living in poverty by providing sustainable careers in the field of IT.  This is accomplished by producing real business value for its clients. Thrive is a local start-up pioneering an Impact Sourcing business model located in Cincinnati’s urban core. Impact Sourcing creates high quality job opportunities for an untapped talent pool in low-employment areas transforming lives and making businesses more efficient. Thrive concentrates on a proven approach to Quality Assurance to provide functional testing services, test management, and usability testing. Data Transformation services are also a part of Thrive’s offerings. On-going training, mentorship and life coaching sets these professionals and their families on a path to Thrive. For more information, please visit www.thrivecincinnati.com