Per Scholas Managing Director Kelly Richardson Named Co-Chair of the New York City Employment and Training Coalition

Richardson will help lead the coalition’s efforts to guide employers and workers in an increasingly digital economic landscape

New York, NY (January 8, 2019) – Today, the NYC Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC) announced that Kelly Richardson, Managing Director of Newark and New York at Per Scholas and Julie Shapiro, Executive Director at The Door have been elected Co-Chairs of it’s Board of Directors. In this capacity, Julie and Kelly will play a key role in NYCETC’s mission to advance inclusive and skills-based workforce development initiatives across New York City. Julie and Kelly succeed Phil Weinberg, President & CEO of STRIVE, who has concluded his term after three years as NYCETC Board Chair, marking a period of growth and renewal for the Coalition.

Originally established in 1995 with the opening of its Bronx headquarters, Per Scholas has emerged as a citywide and national leader in workforce development. Recently, Per Scholas was named to the Community Advisory Committee formed by the New York City and New York State governments to provide a platform for local concerns tied to the development of Amazon’s new Long Island City headquarters. Additionally, Per Scholas has teamed up with the Information Technology Senior Management Forum to co-sponsor the Diverse by Design conference series, which has convened business and social impact leaders all over the country to discuss strategies centered on building an inclusive and skilled workforce.

Kelly brings over a decade of advocacy, strategy, and relationship management expertise to her role as NYCETC Co-Chair. She has served as a NYCETC Board Member since 2017 and has led Per Scholas’ New York market since 2015. Since joining Per Scholas in 2013, Kelly spearheaded a significant development of Per Scholas’ scale, curriculum innovation, and partnership throughout the region. She led Per Scholas’ expansion to a second New York training location in Brooklyn in 2016, as well as the forthcoming launch of Per Scholas’ Newark location, opening in February, with both new locations driven by increased employer demand.

Julie L. Shapiro is an established and respected nonprofit executive with 20 years of experience improving outcomes in employment, education, health, legal status and housing for low-income adults and youth. Since joining as Executive Director in 2010, The Door has tripled in growth, including: the addition of two supportive housing sites; launching Broome Street Academy, New York City’s only charter high school that prioritizes foster care and homeless youth; and assuming responsibility for the Bronx Youth Center, which offers an extensive portfolio of career and education programs.

Together, Per Scholas and The Door operate a training program called TechBridge for adults aged 18-24. TechBridge is a five-week course designed to provide participants with professional skills, networking opportunities, and technical abilities that lay the foundation for new avenues to long-term career success. The program is offered at no cost to accepted students, and participants have the opportunity to enroll directly in Per Scholas’ 15-week IT training course upon successfully completing its requirements.

“On behalf of our Board of Directors, team and membership of more than 150 workforce and economic development organizations, I thank outgoing Board Chair Phil Weinberg for his years of service and contributions to our mission, and personally thank him for his close partnership and mentorship over the last year since I joined NYCETC”, said Joey Ortiz, Executive Director of NYCETC. “Today marks an important day in NYCETC’s evolution as the leading voice for the New York City’s workforce development community. Julie and Kelly are two of the city’s most accomplished leaders in our field at two of the city’s premier institutions. Under their leadership, NYCETC is better positioned than ever to achieve our shared goal of economic inclusion and equitable futures, regardless of socioeconomic status or cultural background, for every New Yorker.”

“It is a deep honor to serve as Co-Chair of the New York City Employment and Training Coalition. The Coalition is the leading voice for an inclusive and equitable workforce in the city, and its work is incredibly important during this time of industry transformation for New York. I am fortunate to have learned so much from the Coalition’s leadership in the past decade, and look forward to supporting Joey Ortiz and the Coalition team as they drive change in our city. I am also proud to serve alongside Julie Shapiro, whose leadership is responsible for an organizational partnership between Per Scholas and The Door that has significantly expanded access to technology careers for hundreds of young adults. The City of NY must invest more in partnerships that provide equitable access for New Yorkers to growth-sector careers., said Kelly Richardson, Per Scholas Managing Director, Newark & New York, and Co-Chair of the New York City Employment and Training Coalition.

“I’m thrilled to be chairing the New York City Employment and Training Coalition, and to be doing so in partnership with Kelly Richardson of Per Scholas,” said Julie L. Shapiro, Executive Director of The Door and Co-Chair of the New York City Employment and Training Coalition. “Because of my long association with NYCETC, I have a deep appreciation for the critical role it plays in promoting the best policies and programs that connect the city’s jobseekers with sustainable, living wage jobs. The Coalition is at a compelling moment in its history under the new leadership of its supremely talented Executive Director Joey Ortiz. I am so excited to work with Joey and Kelly and the rest of the board and staff to make positive change in New York’s workforce development system. In embracing the co-chair roles, Kelly and I are also hoping to highlight the power of partnership in the field, as The Door/ Per Scholas partnership is a wonderful example of the type of success that is possible when each organization brings its expertise and creativity to bear on finding solutions to expand opportunity.”

“NYCETC is a vital force for New Yorkers and the organizations that support their career success”, said Phil Weinberg, President and CEO of STRIVE. “As my term as NYCETC Board Chair concludes, I’m so proud of this Coalition’s achievements, and with such outstanding new leadership in place, I’ve never been more optimistic about what the Coalition will accomplish for New Yorkers in the years ahead.”

“Barclays is proud to congratulate Kelly Richardson and Julie Shapiro on their roles as Co-Chairs of the New York City Employment Training Coalition,” said Mark Thain, Director of Social Innovation at Barclays. “Our partnership with Per Scholas, beginning in 2012, is driven by a critical business need to develop diverse and qualified talent for our New York City regional operations. We recognize that talent pipelines and equitable career opportunities do not happen without the collaboration of employers, providers and the city, and we are thrilled to have Per Scholas and The Door in leadership roles at the NYC Employment and Training Coalition.”

About Per Scholas

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 unemployed or underemployed for successful careers as technology professionals, and we create onramps to businesses in need of their talents. Today we provide our solutions in eight cities across the country: Atlanta, GA; Greater Boston, MA; Greater Cincinnati, OH; Columbus, OH; Dallas, TX; the National Capital Region; Newark, NJ and New York, NY. To date, Per Scholas has trained 9,000 individuals, helping them build lasting, life changing skills and careers in technology.