Per Scholas Philadelphia Secures Historic Multi-Year Grant from William Penn Foundation

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Per Scholas, a national leader in no-cost technology training, proudly announces it has received its first-ever multi-year grant from the William Penn Foundation to reduce barriers to accessing quality jobs in Philadelphia. This landmark commitment will provide essential, sustained support for Per Scholas Philadelphia’s mission to open doors to technology careers for individuals in Philadelphia communities, strengthening its position as a critical workforce development engine in the city.

This significant investment made by the William Penn Foundation is part of a collaborative effort from a coalition of funders to support access to workforce training and follows closely on the heels of the formal launch of Per Scholas Philadelphia’s satellite location on November 17th. The grant not only recognizes the immediate impact of Per Scholas’ no-cost, demand-driven training model but also builds critical momentum as Per Scholas Philadelphia scales its efforts across the region to reduce barriers to tech workforce training.

In addition, this grant will allow Per Scholas to:

• Sustain and grow our core workforce development programs.
• Deepen employer partnerships to increase job placement rates.
• Build credibility within the philanthropic and corporate community as a proven solution for economic mobility.

“With this generous investment from William Penn Foundation and its funding partners, the future technologists in our classrooms will continue to thrive with help from our Learner Support Team made up of MSWs and Financial Coaches who provide support from acceptance through post-graduation,” said Per Scholas Philadelphia Managing Director Joshua Park. “They’ll get to take advantage of our Zero-Percent Loan program, and they’ll benefit from the expanded community partnerships we’re building to multiply barrier-reduction supports across local organizations like OIC Philadelphia, where we’ve launched our IT Support satellite classroom.”

Since establishing its presence in the region, Per Scholas Philadelphia has been committed to providing rigorous training in fields including IT Support, Cybersecurity, and Software Engineering. The organization partners with leading employers to ensure graduates possess the skills needed for immediate and long-term success.

Per Scholas Philadelphia is excited to embark on this work with support from the William Penn Foundation, furthering its commitment to advancing economic mobility and transforming the tech landscape in the region.

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. On average, our learners earn 3x their pre-training wage in their first role after Per Scholas. With 25+ 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.

About William Penn Foundation

The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is committed to expanding access to resources and opportunities that promote a more vital and just city and region for all. We do this through funding programs in the Philadelphia region in arts and culture, children and families, democracy and civic initiatives, environment and public space, and workforce training and services. Learn more at www.williampennfoundation.org.