Plinio Ayala Provides Insight to Equity in the Workforce in Two Discussions

In October, our President and CEO Plinio Ayala spoke at two events about Per Scholas’ impact in Latinx communities and creating equity in communities traditionally underrepresented in tech for Capital One and Workday.  Both Capital One and Workday are partners helping Per Scholas to provide tuition-free tech training for our learners.  

At Capital One’s Reimagine Communities Summit, Plinio participated on a panel to discuss advancing workforce equity in your community, highlighting the need to evolve our training models to meet the change in the workforce. “As we approach the next several years, we will use remote (or variations of remote) training to reach more people.  Using remote training, we will get to 10,000 learners per year by 2025, in more markets,” Plinio stated.  “Once our learners start establishing these amazing tech careers, they are able to pivot as technology changes and they upskill themselves to remain relevant to build these extraordinary careers over time.  We just need to get them into these jobs, and our program is allowing them to get the skills needed to do that.” You can watch the on-demand recording of Plinio’s remarks at the Capital One Reimagine Communities Summit here. 

Following the end of Hispanic Heritage Month, Plinio took part in a fireside chat hosted by Workday’s Latinx Employee Belonging Council.  Plinio discussed his background, growing up in the Bronx as a Latino in a time when the borough was missing entire pockets of its community: people had left, buildings were abandoned, poverty was pervasive, and yet there was a sense of family, creativity, talent, and a desire from himself and family and friends that they wanted something more from life. “I think that the biggest reason that what we do at Per Scholas is important is that we are changing the rules of the game, which is essential if we are going to increase the representation of people of color in the tech industry,” he reflected.  Plinio also talked about the importance of mentoring and providing networks, especially to people of color who are trying to enter the tech field. Plinio then referenced the story of a Per Scholas graduate, Veronica Vergara, and how her role as a Latina technologist has been groundbreaking for her family and provided insight as to what individuals in the Latinx community can do to get ahead in the tech industry.   

Plinio was excited to speak with Workday, as they have been a thought partner for Per Scholas and invested in our learners and company through multiple volunteer events throughout the year. In October alone, Workday hosted an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session with software engineers for our software engineering cohort through our remote training, and continues to be a valued partner, providing industry insight for our learners.