Per Scholas Detroit Hosts Power Up: Detroit to Fuel Energy Innovation and Tech Workforce Growth

Detroit, M.I., August 18, 2025  – Since launching in 2019, the Per Scholas Detroit campus has trained more than 450 learners, equipping them with critical tech skills such as Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity, and IT Support. Our alumni have earned jobs at employers including IC Data Communications, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Stefanini Group, TEKsystems, and Zentro Internet. 

“Detroit’s tech future is being built right now, and it’s being built by the skilled talent from our own communities,” says Laura Chavez, Managing Director of Per Scholas Detroit. “Power Up: Detroit is more than a convening; it’s a movement uniting industry leaders who believe in investing in local brilliance to power our energy and innovation economy.”

Today, top leaders in the energy, utilities, and technology sectors explored the powerful intersection of innovation and workforce development among industry peers at Power Up: Detroit, hosted at Newlab within Michigan Central. Brittany Murrey, Executive Vice President of Talent Solutions and Per Scholas; Kenneth Walker, Executive Vice President of Inclusion & Culture, Per Scholas were in attendance. 

The morning began with an Executive Breakfast, open to Director+ leaders. A Fireside Chat featuring Carla Walker-Miller, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Walker-Miller Energy Solutions, and Paul Douglas, President of The JPI Group, followed. The event concluded with an Industry Expert Panel moderated by Ron Stefanski, Host of DisruptEd. Panelists included Clarinda Barnett Harrison, Director of Talent Development and Programming, Michigan Central; Susan Biszewski-Eber, Senior Manager of Apprenticeship Programs, Interstate Renewable Energy Council; Paul Douglas, President at The JPI Group; and Laura Chavez, Managing Director at Per Scholas Detroit.

Per Scholas Detroit hosted Power Up: Detroit in collaboration with the Urban Institute, IREC, and CareerEquity. This grant-funded partnership delivers worker-centered training tailored to the energy sector’s IT needs.

Contact: Rafael Gerena, Vice President of Communications & Policy, Per Scholas

rgerena@perscholas.org 

About Per Scholas                           

As Per Scholas celebrates 30 years of impact, we are charting an ambitious path forward, expanding access to high-growth tech careers and fostering economic mobility nationwide. Since 1995, we’ve offered no-cost tech training to more than 30,000 technologists in the most sought-after tech skills, generating over $2 billion in increased personal earnings. On average, our learners earn 3x their pre-training wage in their first role after Per Scholas. With 20+ campuses and remote programs, we partner with employers—from Fortune 500 companies to startups—to create inclusive talent pipelines in fields like Cloud, Cybersecurity, Data Engineering, IT Support, and Software Engineering. More than half of our learners hold a high school diploma as their highest educational credential. We are building a future where successful careers in tech are accessible to everyone across urban, suburban, and rural communities, empowering individuals to unlock their potential and drive transformative economic change nationwide.

Learn more at PerScholas.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.

This event is part of the Power Up Series that was created by Per Scholas and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). DOL makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. The total cost of the Power IT project is $5,815,899. $5,000,000 (86 percent) is funded through the Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program of the U.S. Department of Labor–Employment and Training Administration. The other $815,899 (14 percent) is funded through nonfederal resources.