As the nation confronts the systemic racism that can no longer be ignored following the police killing of George Floyd, there is a unified urgency that something must be done to address racial injustices across our country. We at Per Scholas are continuing to champion the fight to impact real change towards equality of access to economic opportunity that has often been touted in this country but has never fully been actualized in black and brown communities.

We are observing this moment in time as an opportunity to assess our impact, examine how we are addressing the reality of racial inequality and economic equity to bring positive, lifelong change in communities across the country. This month, we have engaged in some challenging yet worthy conversations to help us to better support our students, staff, and alumni and to ensure that this work is ongoing:

• Reflections on George Floyd: Letter from Per Scholas President and CEO Plinio Ayala addressed to students and alumni regarding his thoughts on the wrongful death of George Floyd, encouraging them “to consider Per Scholas as a safe place to start dialogues about what is happening” (read more);
• Inclusion by Intention (IxI): a quarterly organization-wide initiative that aims to provide a safe, inclusive space for staff to discuss ongoing issues around race and social justice. A powerful, open panel discussion led by both national and local team leaders to envision ways the organization can best equip staff with the appropriate education, resources, and training needed to support students, alumni, and one another. Literary resources included White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism by Robin Diangelo and Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Davis;
• In Recognition of Juneteenth (Letter From Per Scholas President and CEO): Per Scholas President and CEO Plinio Ayala and the Per Scholas Leadership Team announced their solidarity to recognize Juneteenth as an annual Per Scholas holiday. Members of the Per Scholas community were encouraged “to celebrate the contributions of Black Americans, while also reflecting and learning about the continued steps needed to support racial equality in this county” (read more).

We approach this ongoing discussion and reflection by all of us here at Per Scholas with hope and a determination to continue to fight the good fight. Thank you for your support and commitment.

Contact: Tori McKnight (tori.mcknight@berlinrosen.com | 646.517.1828)

*** MEDIA ADVISORY FOR April 6, 2020 ***

TEKsystems and Per Scholas expand training partnership to Charlotte to build a diverse tech talent pipeline for today’s most in-demand jobs

Job seekers can receive tuition-free training customized to meet local job market demands

(Charlotte, N.C., April 6, 2020) – Today, full-stack technology services provider TEKsystems and national tech training nonprofit Per Scholas announced the expansion of their transformative partnership into Charlotte, North Carolina. With successful training programs already underway in Baltimore, Boston, Detroit and Philadelphia, the expanded partnership will enable TEKsystems and Per Scholas to provide local workers with tuition-free technology training and employers with a stronger, more diverse pipeline of talent. Although this expansion was planned before COVID-19, access to training programs is more important than ever. Applications for the program in Charlotte are now open and training will begin on June 1.

As an emerging tech hub with a growing demand for skilled workers, Charlotte has seen tech jobs grow by 30% in the last five years—nearly double the rate of the national job market–-with nearly 40,000 tech jobs added in 2018 alone. To ensure that regional workers are prepared for this continued shift, TEKsystems and Per Scholas have designed a curriculum that will help students meet these employer and industry demands, particularly for full-stack Java developers.

The training course will provide students with intermediate-level application developer skill sets that include 12 weeks of hands-on experience with HTML, CSS, Java, data structures and algorithms. Participants will also receive long-term career guidance and placement support, including resume and interview coaching from TEKsystems representatives. Students will be connected to TEKsystems recruiters and incorporated into their talent pipeline for job placements at leading businesses around the city. Once they complete the program, students will gain access to a full suite of graduate services from Per Scholas, which provides two years of extensive alumni follow-up and support.

“At TEKsystems, we’re committed to creating significant opportunities for our people—both our internal team members and our consultants—to achieve their goals through career success, which aligns so well with our strong partnership with Per Scholas,” says Faith Johnson, vice president of human resources at TEKsystems. “We’re proud to support training programs in new cities to address the high demand for skilled IT talent from our customers and the communities we serve, giving more people access to life-changing education.”

TEKsystems’ investment will connect motivated and talented individuals with the critical skills employers are demanding across each market. Equity is a primary consideration as regional and national economies develop. Nationally, 87% of Per Scholas students are people of color, and 30% are women. Expanding this partnership will ensure that future career opportunities are accessible by all communities.

“It’s incredible to empower more people in more cities through the support of TEKsystems,” says Plinio Ayala, president and CEO of Per Scholas. “We look forward to building our Per Scholas programs with the people of Charlotte to develop an inclusive, resourceful and job-ready workforce.”

A hiring and training partner since 2015, TEKsystems has hired more than 450 Per Scholas graduates to date, including a significant number in network support positions. Now, with customized training tracks in Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit and Philadelphia, Per Scholas will train at least 540 people for cutting-edge tech jobs by 2022.

In response to developments related to COVID-19, the training may take place virtually. Applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive updates regarding an in-person or remote training. To learn more, please visit: https://www.platformbyps.org/charlotte/application-developer.

###

About Per Scholas

Per Scholas is a national nonprofit that drives positive and proven social change in communities across the country. Through rigorous and tuition-free technology training and professional development, we prepare motivated and curious adults who are unemployed or underemployed for successful careers as technology professionals, and we create onramps to businesses in need of their talents. Today we provide our solutions in fourteen cities across the country: Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Greater Boston, MA; Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL; Greater Cincinnati, OH; Columbus, OH; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Detroit, MI; the National Capital Region; Newark, NJ, New York, NY and Philadelphia, PA. To date, Per Scholas has trained more than 10,000 individuals, helping them build lasting, life-changing skills and careers in technology. To learn more, please visit https://perscholas.org/.

About TEKsystems^®

We’re partners in transformation. We help clients activate ideas and solutions to take advantage of a new world of opportunity. We are a team of 80,000 strong, working with over 6,000 clients, including 80% of the Fortune 500 across North America, Europe and Asia. As an industry leader in Full-Stack Technology Services, Talent Services and real-world application, we work with progressive leaders to drive change. That’s the power of true partnership. TEKsystems is an Allegis Group company.

Contact: Tori McKnight (tori.mcknight@berlinrosen.com | 646.517.1828)

*** MEDIA ADVISORY FOR April 6, 2020 ***

TEKsystems and Per Scholas expand training partnership to Chicago to build a diverse tech talent pipeline for today’s most in-demand jobs

Job seekers can receive tuition-free training customized to meet local job market demands

(CHICAGO, April 6, 2020) – Today, full-stack technology services provider TEKsystems and national tech training nonprofit Per Scholas announced the expansion of their transformative partnership to Chicago. With successful training programs already underway in Baltimore, Boston, Detroit and Philadelphia, the expanded partnership will enable TEKsystems and Per Scholas to provide local workers with tuition-free technology training and employers with a stronger, more diverse pipeline of talent. Although this expansion was planned before COVID-19, access to training programs is more important than ever. The application window for the program in Chicago has opened, and training will begin on June 22.

An emerging tech hub with a growing demand for skilled workers, the local technology sector in Chicago contributed over $50 billion to the city’s economy in 2018, with median tech job wages that are over 80% higher than that of other jobs in the state. To ensure that the wealth of tech jobs is distributed fairly, TEKsystems and Per Scholas have designed a curriculum that will help students meet these employer and industry demands, particularly for entry-level IT support jobs.

The program will provide students with CompTIA A+ and Network+ certifications as well as 15 weeks of hands-on training in troubleshooting and maintaining desktop and mobile devices, company software and network infrastructure. In addition to practical, hands-on training, participants will also receive long-term career guidance and placement support, including resume and interview coaching from TEKsystems representatives. Students will be connected to TEKsystems recruiters and incorporated into their talent pipeline for job placements at leading businesses around the city. Once they complete the program, students will gain access to a full suite of graduate services from Per Scholas, which provides two years of extensive alumni follow-up and support.

“At TEKsystems, we’re committed to creating significant opportunities for our people—both our internal team members and our consultants—to achieve their goals through career success, which aligns so well with our strong partnership with Per Scholas,” says Faith Johnson, vice president of human resources at TEKsystems. “We’re proud to support training programs in new cities to address the high demand for skilled IT talent from our customers and the communities we serve, giving more people access to life-changing education.”

TEKsystems’ investment will connect motivated and talented individuals with the critical skills employers are demanding across each market. Equity is a primary consideration as regional and national economies develop. Nationally, 87% of Per Scholas students are people of color, and 30% are women. Expanding this partnership will ensure that future career opportunities are accessible by all communities.

“It’s incredible to empower more people in more cities through the support of TEKsystems,” says Plinio Ayala, president and CEO of Per Scholas. “We look forward to building our Per Scholas programs with the people of Chicago to develop an inclusive, resourceful and job-ready workforce.”

A hiring and training partner since 2015, TEKsystems has hired more than 450 Per Scholas graduates to date, including a significant number in network support positions. Now, with customized training tracks in Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit and Philadelphia, Per Scholas will train at least 540 people for cutting-edge tech jobs by 2022.

In response to developments related to COVID-19, the training may be taught virtually. Applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive updates regarding in-person or remote training. To learn more, please visit https://www.platformbyps.org/chicago/network-support.

###

About Per Scholas

Per Scholas is a national nonprofit that drives positive and proven social change in communities across the country. Through rigorous and tuition-free technology training and professional development, we prepare motivated and curious adults who are unemployed or underemployed for successful careers as technology professionals, and we create onramps to businesses in need of their talents. Today we provide our solutions in fourteen cities across the country: Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Greater Boston, MA; Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL; Greater Cincinnati, OH; Columbus, OH; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Detroit, MI; the National Capital Region; Newark, NJ, New York, NY and Philadelphia, PA. To date, Per Scholas has trained more than 10,000 individuals, helping them build lasting, life-changing skills and careers in technology. To learn more, please visit https://perscholas.org/.

About TEKsystems^®

We’re partners in transformation. We help clients activate ideas and solutions to take advantage of a new world of opportunity. We are a team of 80,000 strong, working with over 6,000 clients, including 80% of the Fortune 500 across North America, Europe and Asia. As an industry leader in Full-Stack Technology Services, Talent Services and real-world application, we work with progressive leaders to drive change. That’s the power of true partnership. TEKsystems is an Allegis Group company.

4.6.2020

Per Scholas Philly Students and Alumni,

As we all band together to work through this challenging time, please use this page as a reference guide for supportive opportunities in the Philly community. All of the items here are publicly available resources, not offered by Per Scholas, that you may tap into if applicable. It is your responsibility to read the fine print, do your research and understand the opportunities available.

We know that as Per Scholas students and alumni, you are dedicated to building skills, providing for your family and loved ones and establishing yourselves in fulfilling careers, and we’re dedicated to providing the support you need to facilitate your success during this time.

Internet Access

As you get comfortable with the remote learning and working environment, we wanted to make you aware of the Federal Communication Commission’s newly adopted Keep Americans Connected Pledge. Over 70 companies including the big four wireless carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon) and internet service providers Comcast and Google Fiber have committed to maintaining service and waiving late fees for the next 60 days.

They are also opening additional free WiFi hotspots across the country. More information can be found on the FCC’s website.

Additionally Spectrum is offering opportunities for families to get free WiFi hotspots to help you stay connected.

Comcast has also released an update regarding free Xfinity hotspots and other changes to their policies to support Americans during this time.

In addition, we have rapidly deployed technology to our students, including laptops, webcams and portable wifis. If you still do not feel that you have the technology or connection needed to be successful during this time, please reach out to questions@perscholas.org.

Housing: Rent, eviction and foreclosure support for residents

Pa.’s highest court says no evictions allowed in April as coronavirus shutdowns lead to record unemployment

Food Security

Where to find free, nutritious food during COVID-19

Many Philadelphians are in need of free food due to school closures, loss of income, or other challenges caused by COVID-19. In response to this need, City of Philadelphia and partners have developed two ways for residents to find free food.

Supporting Your Neighbors

Volunteer Match

“As the world leader in volunteerism, we feel a responsibility to unite our broader community–to use this moment to learn from one another, to grow, and to become stronger. We invite you to visit our resource hub and explore the growing network of #COVID-19 and virtual volunteering opportunities for practical actions you can take today to support your community.”

Remote Work

Working from home: Has coronavirus shown that remote work is the future?

Per Scholas staff have been working closely together to support this transition to remote work and learning and if you have any questions please reach out directly to questions@perscholas.org.

With respect, appreciation, and care,

Bezawit Mane

Site Director, Per Scholas Philadelphia