Plinio Ayala Receives SHIFT Legacy Award at CLOSE IT 2026 Summit

Plinio Ayala Receives SHIFT Legacy Award at CLOSE IT 2026 Summit

Per Scholas CEO Plinio Ayala has been recognized with the SHIFT Legacy Award at the CLOSE IT 2026 Summit, honoring more than three decades of leadership and impact across workforce development, economic mobility, and inclusive talent innovation.

Presented as part of the CLOSE IT 2026 Awards in Santa Fe, the SHIFT Legacy Award recognizes individuals whose work has helped shape the future of learning and work through long-term systems change, innovation, and sustained commitment to expanding opportunity.

For more than 35 years, Plinio has worked to create pathways to economic mobility for underserved communities. Since becoming CEO of Per Scholas in 2003, he has transformed the organization from a local nonprofit refurbishing computers into a nationally recognized workforce training organization serving learners across more than 20 cities nationwide.

Under his leadership, Per Scholas has trained more than 30,000 technologists, helping learners gain access to high-growth careers in technology through no-cost training, employer partnerships, and skills-based pathways to opportunity.

The award recognizes not only the scale of Per Scholas’ impact, but also Plinio’s broader influence on how employers, workforce organizations, and policymakers think about talent development and economic inclusion.

“I’m deeply honored to receive the SHIFT Legacy Award and proud that this recognition reflects the work of the entire Per Scholas community, our learners, staff, partners, and employers,” said Plinio Ayala, CEO of Per Scholas. “This award reinforces our belief that talent is everywhere, and that expanding access to opportunity can transform lives, strengthen our economy, and shape the future of work.” 

“Plinio has consistently challenged the workforce sector to think bigger about what is possible when talent is developed based on skills and potential,” said Tamara Johnson, COO of Per Scholas, who accepted the award on his behalf during the summit. “His leadership has developed  more equitable pathways into technology careers creating economic mobility for Per Scholas graduates and their communities, while also proving business value for employers .”

Throughout his career, Plinio has championed skills-first hiring, workforce innovation, and employer-aligned training models designed to meet evolving labor market needs. His work has also influenced broader conversations around workforce policy, short-term training pathways, and the future of economic opportunity in a rapidly changing economy.

Read more about the CLOSE IT 2026 Awards here.