Per Scholas North Carolina “Unlocking Potential” Fundraiser, Highlighting Workforce Partnerships and Expanding Pathways to Tech Careers

Charlotte, NC — May 19, 2026 — Per Scholas North Carolina convened employers, philanthropic partners, alumni, and community leaders on Friday evening for its annual fundraiser, Unlocking Potential: A Celebration of People and Possibility, held at The Terrace at Cedar Hill in Charlotte. The event highlighted the organization’s continued statewide growth and expanding network of partners investing in no-cost, industry-aligned technology training.

The evening underscored a shared message: when access meets opportunity, talent can be unlocked at scale.

Expanding Access Across North Carolina

Per Scholas North Carolina leaders shared that the program has now trained more than 1,200 learners statewide, contributing an estimated $26 million in new annual wages to the North Carolina economy. The organization continues to expand across urban and rural communities, preparing learners for careers in IT support, cybersecurity, software engineering, and cloud computing.

Recognizing Partners Driving Workforce Impact

The evening honored several outstanding partners whose investments are expanding access to technology careers and strengthening economic mobility across North Carolina.

The BlackRock Foundation received the Opportunity Builder Award for its sustained commitment to workforce development. With their most recent investment into Per Scholas North Carolina, more than 300 North Carolinians have launched careers in cybersecurity, software engineering, and data analytics—earning on average 2.6 times their previous income. The award was accepted by Marc Balizer on behalf of The BlackRock Foundation.

TEKsystems and Leaton Harris were recognized with the Workforce Champion Award for their leadership in connecting Per Scholas graduates to meaningful employment opportunities and advancing inclusive hiring practices. Through its partnership with TEKsystems, the organization has played a critical role in translating training into real careers for learners across the region.

The Leon Levine Foundation was also honored with our North Star Award for its transformative investment in scaling Per Scholas North Carolina statewide. Through a $7 million commitment, the Foundation is helping expand access to no-cost, employer-aligned training across urban and rural communities, supporting the organization’s goal of reaching 1,000 learners annually by 2030.

Looking Ahead

Per Scholas North Carolina reiterated its vision to train 1,000 learners annually by 2030 and expand into emerging infrastructure roles tied to data centers, AI systems, and advanced manufacturing.

Per Scholas North Carolina expressed gratitude to its sponsors, including The BlackRock Foundation, TD Bank, Morgan Stanley, Corvid Technologies, Vaco by Highspring, The Patel Family, Match Sanderson, Querri, Josh Lieberman, and Raj and Namisha Srivastava, supporting continued expansion across the state. As workforce demand accelerates, Per Scholas remains focused on building scalable pathways into technology careers and ensuring learners across North Carolina have access to opportunity.