Per Scholas Phoenix Establishes Advisory Board
Leaders from Technology, Government, Private Equity, Nonprofit Contribute to Transform America’s Tech Workforce in the Southwest
PHOENIX (February 28, 2023) – Per Scholas Phoenix today announces the establishment of its inaugural Advisory Board. Leaders from technology, government, private equity, and the nonprofit sector will contribute their time and talent to supporting Per Scholas Phoenix and its mission to transform America’s technology workforce through rigorous tech skills training.
Inaugural Per Scholas Phoenix Advisory Board Members include:
- Anebi Agbo, Product Builder & Entrepreneur, Eikon Labs
- Rich Asay, Senior Operations Analyst, Global Services, Keyfactor
- Amber Braaten, IS Service Desk Controller, Master Electronics
- Shereka Jackson, Founder/CEO, Future Stars Inc
- Aaron Jones, Software Developer, City of Chandler
- Phillip Pipkins, Founding Partner, Prospeq, LP
“We are thrilled to have inspired leadership from our inaugural Per Scholas Phoenix Board members. Their creative vision will help us connect rigorously trained tech talent with quality job employers, changing the face of tech here in Arizona,” said Jaclyn Boyes, Per Scholas Phoenix Managing Director.
Since opening in 2021, more than 100 learners have graduated from Per Scholas Phoenix and have gone onto employment in tech roles at a variety of companies across the city – from large financial service institutions to small startups.
Per Scholas Phoenix is grateful for Founder’s Circle partners TEKsystems as well as generous support from Boeing, New World Foundation Quality Jobs Fund, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, and Wells Fargo.
Currently, Per Scholas Phoenix offers a variety of tech training courses including Java Developer, IT Support, and more. To learn more, please visit www.PerScholas.org/Phoenix.
About Per Scholas
Per Scholas is a national organization that has been advancing economic mobility for more than 25 years. Through rigorous training, professional development, and robust employer connections, we prepare individuals traditionally underrepresented in technology for high-growth careers in the industry. We partner with leading employers to build more diverse talent pools, directly connecting our graduates to new career opportunities at businesses ranging from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups. With campuses in 20 cities, Per Scholas has trained more than 20,000 individuals in tech skills, building bridges to careers in technology. To learn more, visit PerScholas.org and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Per Scholas Awarded Inaugural Grant from Apollo Opportunity Foundation
Per Scholas is thrilled to share that we are a recipient of an inaugural grant from Apollo Global Management, Inc.‘s Apollo Opportunity Foundation as they work to advance their mission of expanding opportunity and supporting economic inclusion for underrepresented individuals. The grant will support the expansion of Per Scholas’ rigorous technical training and access to employer networks to close the tech skills divide, unlocking potential for 4,500 new learners and 2,500 alumni across more than 20 cities in 2023.
The grant will go beyond a financial contribution from the Apollo Opportunity Foundation. Over the next year Apollo employees will also support Per Scholas through ongoing engagement including volunteering, strategic advisory work, and providing broader exposure to the Apollo platform.
“We are grateful for this grant from the Apollo Opportunity Foundation and the support Per Scholas will receive in addition to their generous philanthropic support,” said Per Scholas Chief Development Officer Caitlyn Brazill. “With Apollo’s engagement and investment in our mission, Per Scholas will continue unlocking potential in our learners for careers in technology through our tuition-free tech training coast to coast.”
Per Scholas Welcomes Two National Board Members
Per Scholas Welcomes Two National Board Members
Bronx, N.Y. (February 23, 2023) – Per Scholas, one of the leading national organizations that focuses on advancing economic mobility in technology, today announces the appointment of two dynamic leaders to its National Board.
New National Per Scholas Board Members include:
- Dirk Manelski, Chief Technology Officer, PIMCO
With more than 24 years of technology experience, Dirk currently serves as PIMCO’s Chief Technology Officer, responsible for overseeing technology and developing the firm’s IT strategy.
“Having participated in the PIMCO Foundation and Per Scholas partnership over the past couple of years I have seen the incredible impact Per Scholas can have on individuals’ careers and lives,” said Dirk Manelski, Chief Technology Officer at PIMCO. “I am excited to be joining the board and looking forward to being a bigger part of the Per Scholas mission.”
- Indy Reddy, Chief Technology and Operations Officer, PGIM Investments
Indy currently serves as Chief Technology and Operations Officer for PGIM Investments, where he is responsible for all aspects of technology strategy and delivery and operations functions. More than 150 Prudential employees have participated in a variety of corporate engagement events with Per Scholas Newark including mock interviews, fireside chats, networking, and resume reviews.
“I am honored and excited to join the board of Per Scholas to help deliver on their mission to advance economic equity through rigorous training for tech careers and to connect skilled talent to leading businesses. This organization truly embodies the changing face of technology and I look forward to contributing to their growth and continued success,” said Indy Reddy.
“We are humbled to welcome two dynamic chief technology officers and know that Dirk and Indy will bring tremendous insight and knowledge to Per Scholas’ work,” said Plinio Ayala, President & CEO of Per Scholas. “Our National Board Members are tireless in their commitment and effort to advance economic opportunity and close America’s opportunity gap by unlocking potential and changing the face of tech.”
To learn more about Per Scholas’s work and our National Board, visit PerScholas.org.
About Per Scholas
Per Scholas is a national organization that has been advancing economic mobility for more than 25 years. Through rigorous training, professional development, and robust employer connections, we prepare individuals traditionally underrepresented in technology for high-growth careers in the industry. We partner with leading employers to build more diverse talent pools, directly connecting our graduates to new career opportunities at businesses ranging from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups. With campuses in 20 cities, Per Scholas has trained more than 20,000 individuals in tech skills, building bridges to careers in technology. To learn more, visit PerScholas.org and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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Per Scholas North Carolina Awarded Lenovo Foundation TransforMe Grant
Per Scholas North Carolina is the proud recipient of Lenovo Foundation’s TransforMe grant. The grant was awarded to twenty-three organizations worldwide, and Per Scholas is one of four recipients in the United States. Lenovo Foundation’s TransforMe grant aims to equip today’s workforce with the skills needed to transform their career, lives, and communities and is part of the Foundation’s commitment and mission to transform the lives of 1 million individuals by 2025.
The TransforMe grant will support Per Scholas North Carolina in preparing diverse individuals to launch their tech careers, creating a more equitable workforce.
Unlocking Potential: Changing the Face of Tech Campaign Raises More Than $2 Million
Our 2022 annual fundraising campaign, Unlocking Potential: Changing the Face of Tech has come to a close. We set a goal to raise $1 million for our Career Access Fund, which we exceeded! This fund helps cover the costs of supplies and resources for 4,500 learners in 2023. Thanks to the incredible support from our donors and the Per Scholas community, we raised $1,051,868. Our generous match fund from Raz & Hana Tirosh, Abigail & Adam Winkel, the Zgaljic Family, Liquid Technology, and an anonymous donor matched up to $1 million. We are thrilled to announce that we raised $2,051,868 in total!
Per Scholas is committed to advancing economic equity by creating opportunities for individuals who aspire to work in tech but may not have had the access to pursue their dream. With the proceeds from this campaign, we will now be able to support more learners in the coming year as they launch life-changing careers in tech, starting with more than 35 cohorts in session across the country now. To stay informed of our work and the success of our learners, make sure to sign up for our Monthly Impact Report and connect with us on LinkedIn.
In the coming year, Per Scholas aims to train 4,500 learners and alumni to have the skills and connections needed to advance their careers in tech. There is a high demand for trained individuals in tech, and with our hands-on, innovative curriculum, Per Scholas graduates will continue to create a more equitable tech workforce.
Per Scholas Receives $6 Million “Funding Growth Through Innovation” Grant from Ascendium Education Group
Per Scholas is thrilled to announce that we are the recipient of a $6 million “Funding Growth Through Innovation” grant from Ascendium Education Group. The grant was awarded to support three key areas of innovation: Equity Partnerships, our Center for Instructional Excellence, and Recruiting and Admissions. The funding will aid Per Scholas in increased learner capacity to achieve our goal of diversifying the tech industry with our skilled graduates.
“I am grateful for such substantial and innovative funding from Ascendium. With the Funding Growth Through Innovation grant, Per Scholas will continue to grow and train thousands of learners in the next few years,” said Per Scholas President and CEO Plinio Ayala. “We have an innovative approach to expanding our training across the country, and that starts with our Instructional staff and holistic training. Thanks to Ascendium, I am confident in the future of our tech skills training and creating workforce equity in tech.”
With the support of the Ascendium Education Group, Per Scholas will launch satellite and in-person collaborations with local community partners, increasing reach and dramatically reducing costs.
Per Scholas will also launch the Center for Instructional Excellence to recruit, train and upskill Per Scholas faculty. The impact of our Center for Instructional Excellence is already being realized, following the launch of our Instructor Academy, which is training the next generation of diverse Per Scholas faculty from among our own graduates and upskilling existing instructional talent. The Academy curriculum includes a 10-week practicum for teaching fellows to upskill their tech knowledge, observe current classes, and be mentored by seasoned instructors. Currently, 25 percent of the fellows from the inaugural training are offering support in current courses already teaching, well ahead of schedule. One fellow will even serve as lead instructor for a week. All of the teaching fellows will be assigned lead instructor roles after they complete the training and as teaching roles open.
Ascendium Education Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to helping people reach the education and career goals that matter to them. Ascendium invests in initiatives designed to increase the number of students from low-income backgrounds who complete postsecondary degrees, certificates and workforce training programs, with an emphasis on first-generation students, incarcerated adults, rural community members, students of color and veterans. Ascendium’s work identifies, validates and expands best practices to promote large-scale change at the institutional, system and state levels, with the intention of elevating opportunity for all. For more information, visit https://www.ascendiumphilanthropy.org.
Indianapolis Launch Makes Per Scholas 20 Cities Strong!
Last week, Per Scholas announced its expansion to Indianapolis, Indiana, in collaboration with Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana! Following a few years of exponential growth, this marks Per Scholas’ 20th city nationwide. Local resident Theron Wilson has been appointed to serve as Per Scholas Indianapolis Managing Director.
Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana is the grateful recipient of a $2.8M grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc, which supports this new collaboration. Through an innovative relationship, Per Scholas becomes a community partner with Goodwill and Per Scholas Indianapolis will operate and offer its tuition-free technical skills training from Goodwill’s headquarters at 1635 W. Michigan Street in Indianapolis.
“I am so honored and humbled to serve as the managing director of Per Scholas Indianapolis. Our Per Scholas approach is very intentional, as we aim to bridge the gap between a constantly growing tech sector and the next generation of tech workers. I am a long-time advocate for connecting adult learners to accessible education so individuals have an equal opportunity to change their lives,” said Theron Wilson, Per Scholas Indianapolis managing director. “I’m confident that together with Goodwill, we’ll grow equity and diversity in Indianapolis’ growing tech sector.”
In addition to the tremendous funding from Lilly Endowment, Comcast NBCUniversal and Salesforce have generously supported Per Scholas’s expansion to Indianapolis.
“Comcast is proud to support this expansion of Per Scholas that will help more adult learners in Indianapolis gain the skills they need to access careers in the tech industry,” said Kristee Cominiello, Regional Senior Vice President for Comcast’s Heartland Region. “By 2030, an estimated nine out of 10 jobs will require digital skills but nearly one-third of U.S. workers, overwhelmingly Americans earning lower incomes, lack basic digital skills. Per Scholas, Goodwill and Comcast share a commitment to close this digital skills gap by helping more people access the training, resources and career opportunities they need to succeed in an economy that increasingly requires workers with technology skills.”
“At Salesforce, we are committed to creating pathways to economic prosperity for untapped talent. Over the past several years, we have supported Per Scholas through philanthropic investments and employee volunteering, to advance its nationwide work to open the doors to tech careers. We are thrilled to partner in Per Scholas’ ongoing expansion with the launch of the latest campus in Indianapolis,” said Erinn Corbett-Wright, Senior Manager, Workforce Development Philanthropy, Salesforce. “Per Scholas develops exceptional technology talent, and we can’t wait to meet the first Per Scholas Indianapolis graduates this summer!”
“Per Scholas Indianapolis is thrilled to team up with Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana, and we are incredibly grateful to Lilly Endowment, Comcast NBCUniversal, and Salesforce, for their generous contributions as we expand in America’s heartland, training hundreds of the region’s future technologists,” added Wilson.
The first course Per Scholas Indianapolis will offer is IT Support, with training beginning on March 13. Applications are due February 27.
To learn more about Per Scholas Indianapolis, please click here.
Chief Training Officer, Jasmine Miller, Discusses Federal IT Skills Gap in the Federal News Network
This week, Per Scholas’ Chief Training Officer, Jasmine Miller, published a piece in the Federal News Network in which she discussed the challenges the U.S. federal government is currently facing in terms of recruiting and maintaining a diverse and qualified IT workforce.
Studies and surveys have revealed that a significant portion of chief information officers from federal agencies and contractors believe that “a deepening IT skills gap [has] had a significant impact on their agency’s ability to deliver services effectively.” Furthermore, a serious lack of diversity in the tech workforce, despite recent efforts, threatens to pull talented workers away from tech-related fields.
In order to alleviate these issues, Jasmine argues, emphasis should be placed on upskilling and skills development opportunities, as well as a commitment to closing the gender and racial gap in tech hiring. Hiring practices should also be adjusted in order to make federal tech roles more accessible to qualified candidates who may have gained their credentials through methods alternative to the typical four-year degree. “Current hiring practices create barriers for candidates to apply for IT positions in government,” Jasmine notes, “and federal guidelines around degrees and experience often narrow the pool of job candidates.”
$2.8M Lilly Endowment Inc Grant Supports Goodwill’s Collaboration with Per Scholas
$2.8M Lilly Endowment Inc Grant Supports Goodwill’s Collaboration with Per Scholas
Grant funds will support the Digital Skills Initiative
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (January 23, 2023) — Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana announced today that it is the grateful recipient of a generous $2.8M grant from Lilly Endowment Inc, which will support Goodwill’s collaboration with Per Scholas, a national organization that advances economic mobility by connecting graduates to high-growth careers in technology. Together with Per Scholas, the partnership will bring training and employment opportunities to hundreds of Indianapolis residents in an effort to increase the equity and diversity within Indianapolis’ technology sector.
“These funds from Lilly Endowment will help support the ambitious goals of this partnership, and we’re thankful to have their support in bringing technology training and employment opportunities to our community,” said Kent A. Kramer, president and CEO of Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana. “We hope our work will inspire additional partnerships that connect individuals with equitable opportunities to access the education and training needed to secure in-demand career opportunities, like those available in the technology sector.”
Through an innovative relationship, Per Scholas will become a community partner with Goodwill and the Per Scholas Indianapolis office will operate and offer its tuition-free technical training from Goodwill’s headquarters at 1635 W. Michigan St. in Indianapolis. Local resident Theron Wilson has been appointed to serve as Per Scholas Indianapolis Managing Director.
“I am so honored and humbled to serve as the managing director of Per Scholas Indianapolis. Our Per Scholas approach is very intentional, as we aim to bridge the gap between a constantly growing tech sector and the next generation of tech workers. I am a long-time advocate for connecting adult learners to accessible education so individuals have an equal opportunity to change their lives,” said Theron Wilson, Per Scholas Indianapolis managing director. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to team up with Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana, to help improve access and opportunity, and I know we’ll accomplish great things together.”
Per Scholas has advanced economic equity for more than 25 years by offering evidence-based, tuition-free technology training and connecting Per Scholas graduates to high-growth careers in technology. Aligned with its commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, 85 percent of Per Scholas learners are people of color, and more than a third identify as women. Graduates are hired into tech roles by more than 850 employer partners nationwide, ranging from Fortune 500 to innovative startups.
“We are so grateful to Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana for the warm welcome to Indianapolis, as well as the incredible support of both Lilly Endowment and Salesforce,” said Plinio Ayala, president and CEO of Per Scholas. “Indianapolis is a growing tech hub in America’s heartland, and we’re looking forward to bringing our best-in-class technology skills training to the city. With Theron at the helm and together with Goodwill, I’m confident we’ll grow equity and diversity in Indianapolis’ tech sector.”
The five-year grant will support Per Scholas’ expansion to Indianapolis, the national tech training nonprofit’s 20th city.
“We have seen first-hand the positive multi-generational impact of increasing access to education and employment opportunities in our communities,” said Betsy Delgado, senior vice president of education and mission initiatives at Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana. “Partnering with Per Scholas Indianapolis aligns perfectly with Goodwill’s mission and we are excited to be able to offer these opportunities to our community.”
The first course Per Scholas Indianapolis will offer is IT Support beginning in March 2023. Applications are due February 27, 2023.
To learn more about Per Scholas Indianapolis, click here. To learn more about Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana, please visit goodwillindy.org.
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About Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana
Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana changes lives every day by empowering people to increase their independence and reach their potential through education, health and employment. Goodwill serves 39 Indiana counties and operates more than 70 retail locations, as well as charter schools for adults and youth, a maternal-child health program, a child care center and more.
About Per Scholas
Per Scholas is a national organization that has been advancing economic mobility for more than 25 years. Through rigorous training, professional development, and robust employer connections, we prepare individuals traditionally underrepresented in technology for high-growth careers in the industry. We partner with leading employers to build more diverse talent pools, directly connecting our graduates to new career opportunities at businesses ranging from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups. With campuses in 20 cities, Per Scholas has trained more than 17,000 individuals in tech skills, building bridges to careers in technology. To learn more, visit PerScholas.org and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.