In recent months, Per Scholas has expanded to create our 18th and 19th campuses in St. Louis and Orlando, and on July 18th, these two newest campuses officially launched their inaugural cohorts! 

The initial Orlando cohort is an End User Desktop Support course designed in partnership with long-time Per Scholas partner, TEKsystems. This first cohort has 12 learners enrolled and will run for 12 weeks.

Per Scholas has partnered with TEKsystems since 2015 in our mission to provide opportunity and access to tech education in communities across the country that are typically underrepresented in the tech industry. Collaborative courses between our two organizations currently exist at a number of Per Scholas’ campuses, and we are excited to be adding Orlando to that list. “There are many motivated, talented individuals who want to pursue a career in technology but might not have a four-year degree or access to do so,” Faith Rottmann Johnson, Vice President of Human Resources at TEKsystems, said. “Our partnership with Per Scholas enables us to build pathways for these individuals.”

Orlando was named by Brookings Institute as a “rising star” for tech employment and job growth, and it has one of the fastest growing tech markets in the U.S. with a 3.5% annual labor force growth rate. 

“At Per Scholas, we believe a thriving workforce starts with equitable access to education, and we’re committed to increasing access and closing the opportunity gap,” said Damien Howard, chief enterprise solutions officer at Per Scholas. “Launching Per Scholas Orlando, together with our transformational partner TEKsystems, is really thrilling, and I’m looking forward to all the good we’ll achieve together in the Sunshine State.”

The inaugural St. Louis cohort is a Cybersecurity course, with 16 enrolled learners (ranging in age from 22 to 75 years old!), that will run for 15 weeks. Learners will receive training and the opportunity to earn their CompTIA CySA+ certifications at the completion of the course. Cortex Innovation Community worked with Per Scholas to enter the St. Louis market to accelerate inclusive economic growth in the region.

According to CompTIA’s April jobs report, St. Louis ranked seventh in the nation for the most new tech job postings, and after talking with local employers and partners, the need for cybersecurity skills is certainly at the forefront. Additionally, over 27,000 tech jobs have been posted by nearly 3,000 employers in the region this year. 

“I am honored to join Per Scholas and lead our transformational work here in St. Louis,” Per Scholas St. Louis Managing Director, Dr. Charlie Mackey, Jr., reflected. “I believe our training removes two of the largest barriers for members of our local community who aspire to work in technology: access and affordability. By removing these barriers, Per Scholas learners and our future St. Louis graduates can achieve social and economic mobility. Our partnership with Cortex – and being located in this incredible District – will propel our ability to interact with the local tech community and employers in need of tech talent.”

To learn more about our inaugural Orlando cohort, click here. 

To learn more about our inaugural St. Louis cohort, click here.

Per Scholas Pittsburgh is excited to announce our partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania! The partnership will launch a program for individuals in the region to launch high-growth tech careers.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania (BGCWPA), a provider of education, recreation, and healthy lifestyles programs for individuals ages 3-24, and Per Scholas announced this new collaboration to connect underrepresented individuals to information technology (IT) careers, eliminate barriers to employment in this growing field, and enable learners from diverse backgrounds to pursue living wage careers in the Pittsburgh region. This workforce development initiative is generously funded by the Henry L. Hillman Foundation.

“There is an incredible amount of opportunity in Pittsburgh right now for individuals aspiring to join the tech workforce,” said Todd Derby, Managing Director of Per Scholas Pittsburgh. “At Per Scholas, we provide the necessary training to ensure that diverse and resilient Pittsburgh area residents can get access to digital careers and take advantage of thriving wage opportunities.”

Read the full press release here!

Per Scholas Newark is the proud recipient of an enriching grant from Panasonic. In the grant, Per Scholas is one of seven organizations to receive funding to further provide individuals with educational equity.

This grant will help further Panasonic’s commitment to preparing young people for success in the global 21st century and support Per Scholas Newark in continuing to train our learners to advance their careers in the tech industry.

Click here to learn more about Per Scholas Newark’s training and courses available. 

Since the start of Per Scholas in 1995, we’ve grown to more than 300 employees, 19 locations across the country, and we’re not done yet! Due to our rapid growth and expansion, our organization has been seeking more hard-working and passionate people to join our team. This month, on June 16th, we held our first-ever Per Scholas Virtual Career Expo, showcasing our available positions; both remote and on-site. The Career Expo provided an opportunity for interested applicants to learn more about the Per Scholas mission, chat live with our recruitment team, and submit resumes on the spot.

The event was held in an incredible virtual space, designed in a collaboration by Per Scholas and virtual event platform vFairs. The space featured a lobby, expo hall, help desk, and lounge that applicants could move through as the event progressed.

 Those attending the event first entered the virtual lobby, where they were welcomed, via video, by Per Scholas Executive Vice President of People Montreece Smith. Attendees could also view a People of Per Scholas testimonial video, featuring some of our amazing employees.

 Next, attendees entered the Expo Hall, which contained multiple booths, each representing a currently-hiring department at Per Scholas. Applicants could browse job vacancies by department, chat live with our recruitment team, and submit applications on the spot for positions that interested them.

 In the Lounge area, attendees could view Per Scholas social media channels and video testimonials from Per Scholas employees. On the employment end, our recruiters were able to search submitted resumes and schedule private chats with selected candidates.

 More than 130 candidates attended the event, with over 80 applying for positions. The site will remain open for the next few weeks so that interested candidates can continue to view open positions and apply. We are excited for what is to come as our organization continues to grow and add new, wonderful people to our team!

Join Our Team!

Per Scholas is thrilled to announce that we are part of the inaugural cohort of organizations to receive a grant from the Clayton Dubilier & Rice Foundation! We have been identified as one of Clayton Dubilier & Rice‘s Talent Solution Partners (“TSP”), aligning with the Foundation’s goal of supporting “Equity through Opportunity” by offering traditionally underrepresented talent in CD&R’s local communities access to job training, high-quality jobs, and ongoing professional development opportunities throughout their career journey.

This grant is awarded specifically to strengthen the equity, growth, skills, and workforce development systems in New York City. “Over the past 44 years, CD&R has built a reputation for driving positive impact and innovation throughout our portfolio and in our local communities,” said Don Gogel, Chairman of both CD&R and the CD&R Foundation. “The CD&R Foundation meaningfully expands these efforts, and we look forward to working with our TSPs to move the needle on inclusive employment and advancement practices.”

Click here to learn more about this inaugural partnership!

Per Scholas was featured in an article with Boardroom media network about the NFL’s Inspire Change grant renewals for 2022. Caitlyn Brazill, Per Scholas’s Chief Development Officer, commented on the impact the grant has on our organization, sharing, “We don’t want to be a best-kept secret, and our partnership with the NFL really helps to elevate the message of the works that we do to both potential learners and employers who are seeking diverse tech talent and are looking for partners to help them with hiring needs that they are increasingly desperate for.”

Per Scholas is one of 21 recipients of the grant funding from the NFL’s Inspire Change social justice initiative. To read the full article from Boardroom, click here!

Per Scholas is thrilled to announce that we are the recipients of an extended grant from the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative! The grant will cover the next two years in the amount of $500,000. We are one of 21 partners to receive renewed funding from the NFL.

With the grant, Per Scholas will enroll over 6,000 people of color into immersive, cohort-based, tuition-free tech training courses over the next two years. Graduates are equipped with technical and professional skills that prepare them to succeed in high-growth technology careers. Per Scholas connects its graduates to robust employer networks, providing all graduates with access to employment opportunities ranging from Fortune 500 companies to innovative start-ups. Per Scholas continues to be committed to advancing economic mobility and DEI&B across our communities.

View the full press release from the NFL here. 

Per Scholas President and CEO Plinio Ayala has been named to the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program’s Task Force. This task force was formed to address Latino Digital Success across the country.  Plinio Ayala is sitting on the task force with key leaders from our Champion Partners, Google and JPMorgan Chase. One Co-chair includes Hector Mujica, Head of Economic Opportunity for the Americas at Google.org, and fellow task force member Parag Mehta, Managing Director & President at JPMorgan Chase.

In June, the task force will host a roundtable discussion on principles for Digital Success and strategies to inspire action by companies, workforce organizations, and elected officials to better support the Latino community.

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. To learn more about the digital success initiative with the task force, read the full press release here.

Per Scholas was recognized as one of 10 new members of Mass Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC), the region’s leading technology association and network for tech executives, entrepreneurs, investors and policy leaders.

MassTLC’s mission is to accelerate innovation, growth, and the development of an inclusive tech ecosystem in Massachusetts…by connecting people from across the technology landscape, providing access to industry-leading content and ideas, and offering a platform for our members to advance their collective interests.

We are honored and excited to become a new member of the Council as we continue to bring positive change to Massachusetts and beyond!

See Per Scholas’ feature here.

Per Scholas is thrilled to reflect on this month’s expansion to our 18th city, St. Louis! This marks our first campus launch in 2022. We are honored and grateful to Cortex Innovation Community for their warm welcome as part of their strategy to accelerate inclusive economic growth in the region.

We were excited to participate at The Global Center for Cybersecurity’s MiniCon and host a welcome breakfast for community and industry leaders and partners with Cortex. The reception and welcome by Cortex, community partners, and local media has been overwhelmingly positive, including feature pieces by St. Louis Business Journal, St. Louis National Public Radio, Flyover Future, and first-day coverage in The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 

Per Scholas St. Louis will host its inaugural cohort in Cybersecurity this summer in response to the need for Cybersecurity technologists in the community. According to CompTIA’s April jobs report, St. Louis ranked seventh in the nation for the most new tech job postings. And after talking with local employers and partners, the need for cybersecurity skills is at the forefront. 

Per Scholas St. Louis is led by Managing Director Dr. Charlie Mackey, Jr. Upon his hiring, Charlie reflected, “I am honored to join Per Scholas and lead our transformational work here in St. Louis. I believe our training removes two of the largest barriers for members of our local community who aspire to work in technology: access and affordability. By removing these barriers, Per Scholas learners and our future St. Louis graduates can achieve social and economic mobility.” 

“Our partnership with Cortex – and being located in this incredible District – will propel our ability to interact with the local tech community and employers in need of tech talent,” he continued. 

At the Global Center for Cybersecurity MiniCon, Per Scholas Graduate Elena Bilko participated on a panel discussing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Cybersecurity, with fellow tech training graduates from CyberUp and NPower St. Louis. Elena, a New York Cybersecurity graduate from late 2020 shared her story about being a successful career-switcher from the fashion to the tech industry and highlighted that without Per Scholas, she would not have been able to break into the field.  Elena also shared her commitment to helping spread the word about the power and impact of programs like Per Scholas.  

As we continue to grow based on market demands, the Per Scholas St. Louis team will grow as well. We are currently recruiting for several St.Louis-based roles as we continue to settle into the Gateway to the West.