Last year, Per Scholas joined the Defense Department Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program and Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) for an induction ceremony and annual event in Alexandria, Virginia. Per Scholas joins more than 70 new partners to MSEP — bringing the number of employers to more than 700.

Military spouses have long struggled with maintaining employment due to Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves and other challenges associated with military life. Unemployment among military spouses stood at 21%, according to the 2021 Survey of Active Duty Spouses. In 2022, overall civilian unemployment was 5.3%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

MSEP connects military spouses with hundreds of partner employers who commit to recruiting, hiring, promoting and retaining military spouses. Since its inception in 2011, MSEP employers have hired more than 275,000 military spouses. 

Providing opportunities to spouses for meaningful employment strengthens financial stability among military families, which promotes force retention and military readiness which are essential to national security.

“Per Scholas is proud to be part of the Military Spouse Employment Partnership through our Vets in Tech initiative. Our outreach goes beyond Veterans – we know the impact a thriving career has on military spouses and the military community as a whole,” states Per Scholas Director of Veteran Recruitment and Partnerships George Darby III. “This partnership will unlock key benefits and crucial support, and enable Per Scholas to enroll at least 1,000 veterans and military spouses over 3 years, of whom at least 80% will be people of color and 20% identify as women.” 

In order to effectively serve those who have served our country, Per Scholas is tailoring our proven program to meet the specific needs of veterans and military spouses through:

• Strategic Partnerships to recruit eligible veterans and military spouses, provide supportive resources, and assist with job attainment
• Targeted Recruitment Efforts that focus on customized recruitment materials, local partnerships, advertising on military platforms, and uncovering connections between veteran alums
• Learner Support to address the unique barriers that veterans and their families face
• Benefits Access for enrolled learners through GI Bill/VA Approval; Department of Defense Skillbridge; Army Career Skills Program (CSP), and Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) and this partnership

To learn more about Per Scholas Vets in Tech, click here!

As part of Per Scholas’ ongoing dedication to empowering veterans and military spouses, we are thrilled to share that Per Scholas recently received approval from the Department of Defense Skillbridge program, designed to support transitioning service members across all branches of the military, of whom there are 200,000 each year, by allowing service members to continue drawing their full salary and benefits while pursuing specific industry training, apprenticeships, or internships to gain valuable civilian work experience during their last 180 days of service.

Thanks to the impactful connections we’ve built over the past year, our application was accelerated for approval in record time, allowing Per Scholas to begin empowering veterans and military spouses to launch thriving careers in tech. This approval applies to our most popular training track: IT Support, and we are actively seeking approvals for our remaining training tracks (Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, and AWS re/Start). With a strategic rollout aimed at increasing awareness among service members that they may now access their salary while enrolled in our program during their last six months of service, we anticipate a marked growth not just in the number of applications we receive, but the conversion rate for active service members seeking to translate skills acquired during their service into high-quality careers.

Per Scholas aims to enroll at least 1,000 veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses over the next three years. In line with our commitment to diversity, we expect that at least 80% will be people of color, and at least 20% will be women. 

“The Skillbridge program approval is monumental for Per Scholas, veterans, and military spouses. Through our Vets in Tech initiative and Skillbridge approval, we will be able to unlock potential for the military community,” states Per Scholas  Director of Veteran Recruitment and Partnerships George Darby III. “This will unlock key benefits and crucial support, and enable Per Scholas to enroll at least 1,000 veterans and military spouses over 3 years and gain valuable civilian work experience during their last 180 days of service.”

In order to effectively serve those who have served our country, Per Scholas is tailoring our proven program to meet the specific needs of veterans and military spouses through:

• Strategic Partnerships to recruit eligible veterans and military spouses, provide supportive resources, and assist with job attainment
• Targeted Recruitment Efforts that focus on customized recruitment materials, local partnerships, advertising on military platforms, and uncovering connections between veteran alums
• Learner Support to address the unique barriers that veterans and their families face
• Benefits Access for enrolled learners through GI Bill/VA Approval; Department of Defense Skillbridge; Army Career Skills Program (CSP), and Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) and the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP)

To learn more about Per Scholas Vets in Tech, click here.  

Per Scholas Welcomes Two National Board Members

Leaders from Telecommunications and Technology Contribute to Transform America’s Tech Workforce

 

BRONX, N.Y. (March 28, 2024) – Today, leading national tech training nonprofit advancing economic equity Per Scholas welcomed two National Board Members. 

New National Per Scholas Board Members include:

Kristen Chard, Head of Commerce, Google. Kristen joined Google in 2007 and now serves as a Head of Commerce in Google’s Mid Market sales division, GCS. Outside of work, Kristen focuses her energy on partnering with organizations to help underserved populations.

Rick Rioboli, Executive Vice President, Chief Technology Officer, Comcast Cable. Rick serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Comcast Cable. Rick is an advocate for ongoing education and career development both at Comcast and across the Philadelphia tech community

“We are honored to welcome Kristen and Rick to Per Scholas’ National Board, where their dedication, expertise, and enthusiasm will greatly contribute to our mission of unlocking potential,” stated Plinio Ayala, President & CEO of Per Scholas. “Our National Board Members exemplify our vision to further change the face of technology to achieve a strong economy for all.”

To learn more about Per Scholas’s work and our National Board, visit PerScholas.org. 

About Per Scholas

For nearly 30 years, Per Scholas has been on a mission to drive equity and opportunity in the ever-advancing technology landscape by unlocking the untapped potential of individuals, uplifting communities, and meeting the needs of employers through rigorous tech training. By teaming up with dynamic employer partners, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups, we’re forging inclusive tech talent pipelines, fulfilling an ever-increasing need for skilled talent. With national remote training and campuses in 20+ cities and counting, Per Scholas offers no-cost training programs in the most sought-after tech skills, spanning Cloud, Cybersecurity, Data Engineering, IT Support, Software Engineering, and more. To date, 25,000+ individuals have been trained through Per Scholas, propelling their professional trajectories into high-growth tech careers with salaries three times higher than their pre-training earnings. At Per Scholas, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging aren’t just buzzwords—they’re in our DNA. 85+ percent of our learners are people of color, two in five are women, and more than half hold a high school diploma as their highest educational credential. Learn more by visiting PerScholas.org and follow us on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 

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Per Scholas Selected by Stand Together Foundation to Become Catalyst Impact Partner 

Per Scholas joins the second cohort of Catalyst Impact Partners, receiving management training, access to new customer-first impact measurement approach, and up to $300,000 in grants over the next three years.

Bronx, NY, March 25, 2024 – Per Scholas is proud to announce it has been selected to participate in Stand Together Foundation’s Catalyst Impact Grant Program, an initiative cultivating a group of the country’s most transformative nonprofits that demonstrate a better way to transform individual lives and create lasting change.

The Catalyst Impact Grant Program awards each incoming Impact Partner with Principle Based Management™ coaching and consulting, access to a new customer-first measurement approach created by Stand Together Foundation to understand and differentiate their impact, and grants up to $300,000 over three years. By 2025, Stand Together Foundation’s goal is to invest in up to 100 Catalyst partners who have successfully completed the Catalyst Program, committing up to $30 million to accelerate nonprofit impact and transform how society thinks about addressing poverty and social barriers.

Per Scholas is one of 25 Catalysts selected to join the Catalyst Impact Grant Program’s second cohort, which officially kicked off in January 2023. Nonprofits selected have the key ingredients to break the cycle of poverty. They put people at the forefront, see the unique potential in every individual, and are changing the way the country thinks about, talks about, and tackles poverty. The grant program is designed to provide resources for increased effectiveness, including management training and customer feedback tools to help nonprofits grow, scale, and replicate their success. Click here to view a full list of the 2023 Catalyst Impact Partners.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Stand Together Foundation and the Catalyst Impact Grant Program to further empower our learners and alumni to unlock potential in their tech careers,” reflected Per Scholas President and CEO Plinio Ayala. “Stand Together Foundation’s support resonates with our mission as we continue to change the face of technology and uplift individuals and communities, meeting the needs of employers through our innovative tech training.” 

Stand Together Foundation partners with the highest impact nonprofits around the nation, all committed to empowering the individuals they serve through a principled approach. This means that instead of treating people as problems to be managed with sweeping, top-down plans, these organizations help people realize their full potential through bottom-up empowerment and solutions that help individuals transform themselves and the world around them. Today, Stand Together Foundation partners with over 300 nonprofits across all 50 states.

Per Scholas was selected through an extensive vetting process and accepted into the program after a rigorous evaluation focused on impact, customer surveying, reach, and principle alignment. Stand Together Foundation’s Catalyst Impact Partner Initiative represents an investment in the diversity of nonprofits, audiences, and solutions as the way to end poverty. 

The 25 Impact Partners have diverse program models across the nation and are uniquely suited for rapid iteration and experimentation based on data collection and customer feedback. Each of these organizations focuses on relationships with their customers and prioritizes individual transformation rather than transactional services.

“Our Catalyst partners take a unique approach to helping people overcome barriers that is anchored in a strong belief in people,” said Evan Feinberg, executive director at Stand Together Foundation. “This initiative is about deepening our partnership so that Catalysts can scale their reach, better understand their impact, and ultimately transform the way society thinks about addressing social barriers. If these organizations continue to grow in their effectiveness, and everyone in the country hears about what they are doing, we can transform the entire social sector in America.”

Catalyst Impact Partners will be encouraged and supported to:

• Model a “customer-first” impact vision. Catalyst Impact Partners will participate in Stand Together Foundation’s pioneering measurement approach to understand impact through customer feedback.

• Advance a management culture that empowers employees. Catalyst Impact Partners will focus on leveraging Principle Based Management to empower their employees to empower the people they serve.
• Build the movement toward empowerment. Identify with and advocate for a culture of openness, dignity, mutual benefit, and empowerment among philanthropists, nonprofits, and the broader social sector.

Click here to learn more about Catalyst Impact Partners.

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About Per Scholas

For nearly 30 years, Per Scholas has been on a mission to drive equity and opportunity in the ever-advancing technology landscape by unlocking the untapped potential of individuals, uplifting communities, and meeting the needs of employers through rigorous tech training. By teaming up with dynamic employer partners, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups, we’re forging inclusive tech talent pipelines, fulfilling an ever-increasing need for skilled talent. With national remote training and campuses in 20+ cities and counting, Per Scholas offers no-cost training programs in the most sought-after tech skills, spanning Cloud, Cybersecurity, Data Engineering, IT Support, Software Engineering, and more. To date, 25,000+ individuals have been trained through Per Scholas, propelling their professional trajectories into high-growth tech careers with salaries three times higher than their pre-training earnings. At Per Scholas, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging aren’t just buzzwords—they’re in our DNA. 85+ percent of our learners are people of color, two in five are women, and more than half hold a high school diploma as their highest educational credential. Learn more by visiting PerScholas.org and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 

About Stand Together Foundation

Stand Together Foundation is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty in America by driving change from within communities. We are building a community of social entrepreneurs who believe in people, work from the bottom up, and unite with anyone to do right. Since 2016, we have committed over $120 million and counting to fuel the innovation of nonprofits throughout the country to build stronger, safer communities where all people can learn, contribute, and realize their full potential. Our goal is to help nonprofit leaders maximize their impact to transform more lives out of poverty. Learn more at www.StandTogetherFoundation.org.

Per Scholas hit a monumental milestone: 25,000 learners trained and counting! This remarkable feat underscores our organization’s dedication to empowering individuals with the skills necessary to thrive in the ever-evolving technology industry.

For more than twenty-five years, Per Scholas has provided comprehensive training programs designed to bridge the digital divide and empower individuals with the tools needed to pursue rewarding careers in technology, unlocking potential for themselvies, their communities, and businesses.

Our work extends far beyond the number of learners trained – each alumni represents a testament to the transformative power of education and opportunity. By nurturing talent and fostering a diverse pipeline of tech professionals, Per Scholas is not only changing the face of tech but also strengthening communities.

As the demand for skilled tech workers continues to rise, Per Scholas remains steadfast in our mission to provide accessible pathways to success for individuals of all backgrounds. With a focus on diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging, we’re providing companies with a skilled, diverse talent pipeline that fosters innovation and growth for more than 850 employer partners. We are proud of this achievement of training more than 25,000 learners and look forward to our next milestone!

Per Scholas is proud to have been featured in the Center for an Urban Future and The Bronx Community Foundation’s report: “50 Ideas for a Stronger and More Equitable Bronx.”

Although The Bronx is overflowing with opportunity, the report’s creators wrote, many Bronx residents still face “grave affordability challenges, as well as gaps in access to health care, open space, technology, and financial services…[As well as] steep barriers to obtaining the well-paying jobs that are growing in today’s economy.”

The Center for an Urban Future and The Bronx Community Foundation are dedicated to addressing the borough’s biggest challenges, expand on its potential, and lay a foundation for a stronger and more equitable borough. Their “50 Ideas for a Stronger and More Equitable Bronx” report presents 50 concrete policy ideas for what the Mayor, City Council members, the Bronx Borough President, and other city leaders can do to “help more Bronx residents get on the path to the middle class, strengthen social infrastructure, address the affordability crisis, close longstanding racial and ethnic opportunity gaps, improve the health of residents, and bolster neighborhoods across the borough.”

Per Scholas was featured on the list amongst other innovative programs, organizations, and ideas, and was recognized for it’s ability to provide an accessible, cost free skills training program, available to Bronx residents.

Read the full report here.

Per Scholas President and CEO Plinio Ayala recently contributed a chapter to Next Generation Evidence: Strategies for More Equitable Social Impact. In it, he recalls Per Scholas’ overnight transition to remote courses as a result of COVID-19. For the two decades prior, Per Scholas conducted our teaching in person to mimic the workplace, which we believed contributed to our success. To keep our training going, we took this as an opportunity to see how our program and learners fared remotely. We began collecting remote participants’ feedback from both the learners and staff. This feedback allowed us to make changes in real-time; we saw what we did right and learned what to improve on. When Barrow Street Consulting conducted an analysis over the summer of 2020, the learner Net Promoter Score was a success – scoring a 67 out of a 100 (the range is -100 to 100, with a typical score in the for-profit sector ranges between a 30 and 40). The feedback from this made us realize that in-person is not the only way for us to successfully provide teaching, and we now continue to offer remote options. 

Read the rest of Plinio’s reflection on this experience here. 

With support from the PwC Charitable Foundation, Per Scholas is excited to be launching a new initiative, Per Scholas Vets in Tech: Unlocking Potential for the Military Community. The initiative will target and engage the Military Community to generate a robust pipeline of learners affiliated with the U.S. Armed Forces. Through the Per Scholas Vets in Tech initiative, Per Scholas will enroll 900 transitioning Military Veterans and Military Spouses over the next three years, with an emphasis on recruiting female and minority learners. As with all our learners, these Military Community learners will receive the technical training, support, and career guidance needed to help enable them to launch successful careers in tech. 

A Closer Look at the Per Scholas Vets in Tech Initiative

Learners enter our courses from an array of backgrounds, seeking the skills and certifications necessary to launch careers in tech, and a consistent portion of our learners are Military Veterans and Spouses looking to start careers in IT as they transition to civilian life. Individuals enrolled in our courses will obtain immersive, cohort-based, and tuition-free training courses conducted full-time over 12-15 weeks in various disciplines, including AWS, Cybersecurity, IT Support, Software Engineering.

These training courses lead directly to industry-recognized credentials and equip learners with in-demand technical and professional skills that prepare them for success in technology careers, with in-house support to connect directly to employment opportunities post-graduation. Veteran alumni will also have access to no-cost alumni upskilling opportunities to foster wage/career advancement for 2+ years post-graduation.

In addition to technical training, Per Scholas Vets in Tech initiative contains several components:

1. Technical and Professional Development Training: Per Scholas training is 80% technical training focused on in-demand tech skills. The training is also hands-on so alumni are ready to dive into their careers with experience. Additionally, 20% of the training focuses on professional development. Our Learner Support Team and Financial Coaches provide individualized resources and services that support the unique barriers that veterans and their families face as well as ongoing peer support with other veterans to encourage retention. This aspect ensures alumni have the soft skills needed to succeed in the workforce. 
2. Access to our Employer Network: Per Scholas partners with 850+ employers to connect our learners and alumni with leading businesses. Our business solutions teams partner closely with each Veteran alumni to prepare them for interviews with our employer networking and beyond to land jobs to jumpstart their high-demand careers.
3. Strategic Partnerships: Per Scholas is cultivating partnerships with US Armed Forces Support Organizations, military bases, and veteran-friendly employers to recruit eligible veterans, provide supportive resources, and provide direct connections for employment.

Our outreach is national for this initiative so we can include all of our Military Community, however there is a focus at nine of our campuses, selected based on factors such as local numbers of veterans in the workforce, staff capacity, and more. These nine markets include: Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Philadelphia, and St. Louis, and those in the Military Community are encouraged to apply to any of our campuses local to them. 

Why the Per Scholas Vets in Tech Initiative is Important

1. Approximately 200,000 men and women leave U.S. military service each year and return to civilian life. These individuals can face significant challenges during this transitional period, particularly in terms of finding employment. 
2. More than 174,000 additional jobs will be available in technology in 2023. While there may be tech layoffs throughout the world, there are still hundreds of thousands of tech positions in all industries – not just with technology companies. 
3. Per Scholas is passionate about the Veteran and Military Spouse community and connecting them with leading businesses with high-growth tech careers. We are excited to work with Veterans and their families to help them unlock their potential.

Additionally, Veterans may struggle to translate skills earned through service into employment opportunities at civilian companies and face physical and mental health barriers to mobility:

• 20% of post-9/11 veterans have no college degree
• 6.6% of working veterans with a high school-or-lower education level are living in poverty
• 43% of post-9/11 veterans are people of color, and 18% are women, both of whom face poorer economic outcomes than white, male veterans

We look at these statistics and know that Per Scholas can support the Veteran and Military Spouse community that face barriers to career mobility with our training.

Meet Some of Our Veteran Alumni

Through Per Scholas Vet in Tech training, a number of Military Community members have been able to launch new, thriving careers in tech after completing their military service. Let’s meet some of our veteran alumni!

Aaron Webb was an HR Specialist in the Military before applying to Per Scholas. He tried to go to college through his G.I. Bill, but realized that that route was not beneficial to him or his learning style. Aaron joined Per Scholas Pittsburgh’s Desktop Support course and appreciated how Per Scholas’ boot camp-style training was similar to his military boot camp, in which he learned a lot in a short period of time. Aaron felt very supported by his instructors and classmates throughout the course. He graduated with his CompTIA A+ certification and is now pursuing his CCNA certification. Aaron is excited for his future career trajectory and aims to become a full network engineer and explore cloud computing, both of which he is learning more about through his IT Implementation Senior Analyst position at Tenaris. Read more about Aaron here!

Antwan Grant served in the U.S. Marine Corps after graduating from high school, then took a coding class, which fueled her interest in IT. Pursuing this, Antwan came across Per Scholas Atlanta, and was accepted into the Software Engineering program. Antwan found the coursework difficult and daunting, but she was motivated to continue by her instructors and her family who rooted for her throughout the process. Antwan now works as a Java Automation Test Engineer at Interapt, and helps give back to her Veteran community by serving as a member of American Legion. Learn more about Antwan’s story here

Todd Theobald was unsure what career path he wanted to follow after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. While in the Marines, he had worked a great deal with computers, and recognized in himself a real interest in and affinity for IT, but, without any technical certifications, Todd struggled to land a job in the field. He joined Per Scholas Orlando’s Desktop Support course and enjoyed his time in the program, appreciating its structured approach to the material, including well-defined goals, schedules, and syllabuses. After graduating with his CompTIA A+ certification, Todd landed a Tier 1 Service Desk Analyst job at Advent Health. He enjoys his job and is excited to learn as much as possible and grow his career. Read more about Todd’s journey as a technologist here!

How to Apply

We are excited for the launch of Per Scholas Vets in Tech: Unlocking Potential for the Military Community, which will help equip a significant number of Military Veterans and Military Spouses with the skills and training necessary to land high-growth, well-paying jobs in tech over the next few years. 

Tech is an excellent field for those looking to transition to civilian life due to its flexibility, variability, and the high demand for technical workers. Furthermore, many of the skills learned and utilized in military service are highly applicable to work in many technical jobs. On average, 80% of our veteran graduates obtain jobs within one year of graduation, earning on average at least 3x of their pre-training wage.

For those in the Military Community interested in applying, please visit our Veterans initiative landing page here. 

In December, Forbes highlighted Per Scholas as one of three organizations who are leading the way for apprenticeships. With technology constantly advancing and changing, employers cannot keep up with the demand for talent that are equipped to deal with these challenges. Apprenticeships are one way to bridge this talent gap. So far, Per Scholas has placed 47 apprentices at insurance company Nationwide over the last three years and over 80% of those apprentices move to full-time positions.

 

Read more about the future of apprenticeships at Per Scholas and beyond here!

 

Per Scholas was excited and honored to welcome Daniel West, Vice President of Social Impact at BlackRock as the keynote speaker at our last Per Scholas New York graduation of 2023. The ceremony celebrated 33 graduates of a Cybersecurity cohort co-hosted with our satellite partner, Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation. 

BlackRock has partnered with Per Scholas since 2018 to create paths to financial security by providing individuals often excluded from tech careers with skills training and access to high-growth opportunities in the tech sector. This partnership has been pivotal in many Per Scholas initiatives, including our scale to remote training during the Covid pandemic, building and expanding our training capacity and options, the launch of our newest campus in Houston, and more.

In his commencement address, Mr. West celebrated the incredible achievements, determination, hard work, and limitless future potential of each graduate, as well as the foundation that had been set within each of them for a lifetime of continuous learning. 

“This is a momentous occasion, not just for each of you individually, but for the communities you come from, and for the transformative power of education in the pursuit of a brighter future,” West said. “Your unique perspectives, informed by the tapestry of your individual stories, will contribute to innovative solutions, and foster more inclusive workplaces…You have the potential to shape the future, not only for yourselves but for those who will follow in your footsteps. Armed with your education and the foundation laid at Per Scholas, I have no doubt that each of you will indeed change the world.”