An endorsed talent development partner for OneTen, Per Scholas’s commitment will help the coalition reach its goal of training and creating jobs for one million Black Americans

New York, N.Y. (October 7, 2021) – For more than 25 years, Per Scholas has advanced economic equity through in-demand technology training, and this week, the nonprofit announced its plan to train tens of thousands of Black learners over the next ten years in support of OneTen – a coalition of leading corporate executives, talent developers, and community leaders who are committed to training, hiring, and advancing Black talent for family-sustaining career opportunities.

The training commitment is the latest move by Per Scholas to prepare BIPOC workers for high-growth careers in technology. In June, OneTen announced Per Scholas as an endorsed talent developer to advance its mission of expanding career pathways for one million Black Americans over the next decade.

“Per Scholas has always understood the value of training individuals for high-growth careers where they can thrive and build a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities – which is why we’re doing everything possible to expand and scale our training programs to underrepresented talent across the U.S.,” said Plinio Ayala, President, and CEO of Per Scholas. “As part of our work, we could not be more proud to stand alongside OneTen as we commit to training one in every 10 Black Americans that OneTen will reach for life-changing careers in technology – playing a significant role in what is hopefully the end of the lingering opportunity gap in America.”

In addition to this latest training commitment, Per Scholas also presented the Diverse by Design North Star Awards – which celebrates and honors leaders who are transforming diversity in the technology sector and beyond. The inaugural award recipients include:

• Jay Alvather, President of TEKsystems: Building on 20 years of service to TEKsystems, Alvather was appointed President of the global provider of technology, business, and talent solutions in 2015. Inclusion and diversity have always been core to his work, and he has been integral in making a more streamlined, direct connection between in-demand employment opportunities and diverse talent. TEKsystems is pleased to continue their support of Per Scholas’s national expansion plans in 2022 and beyond.
• Dalila Wilson-Scott, EVP and Chief Diversity Officer for Comcast Corporation, and President of the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation: Wilson-Scott leads all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives and philanthropic strategy for the global corporation, including the company’s $100 million dollar commitment to advancing social justice and equality in today’s workforce. Comcast NBCUniversal has also made a tremendous investment in Per Scholas, enabling the nonprofit to grow its training and reach more aspiring technologists amid the coronavirus pandemic.
• Maurice Jones, CEO of OneTen: Jones is on a mission to help OneTen close the opportunity gap for Black talent in America, partnering with corporate leaders from all sectors and industries to upskill, hire, and promote one million Black Americans into family-sustaining jobs. This decade-long commitment will be transformational to our nation and directly beneficial to the communities where we live, work, and play.

“It was a tremendous honor to present our inaugural Diverse by Design North Star Awards to Jay, Dalila, and Maurice earlier this week,” said Damien Howard, Executive Vice President of Social Ventures at Per Scholas and Co-Founder of Diverse by Design. “Much like the North Star – a collection of the brightest and most brilliant stars in the night sky – these leaders and their organizations serve as a beacon. Their commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are bright, awe-inspiring, and inspirational.”

Per Scholas will train more than 3,000 learners this year – 90% of whom are Black and brown talent – remotely and across 17 campuses. On average, 85% of learners accepted into Per Scholas will go on to graduate, 80% of graduates will secure employment at an average wage of at least $20 an hour, and 75% will retain employment beyond one year in their field. Historically, alumni will also make roughly four times more in their first job after graduation than their pre-training wage.

For more information, please visit PerScholas.org and OneTen.org.

Editor’s Note: High-resolution photos of the Diverse by Design North Star Award presentation are available upon request. Please contact Sara Luciano at (332) 895-0051 or by email at [email protected].

About Per Scholas

Per Scholas is a national organization that has been advancing economic mobility for 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 17 cities, Per Scholas has trained more than 14,000 individuals in tech skills, building bridges to careers in technology. To learn more, visit PerScholas.org.

About Diverse by Design

Diverse by Design, powered by Per Scholas and ITSMF, promotes solutions-driven conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion within tech, produces meaningful content that empowers c-suite leaders to make both valuable and socially impactful business decisions and provides access to sophisticated customized training and talent sourcing solutions to meet companies’ talent demands while transforming the diversity landscape of their organizations. To learn more, visit diversebydesign.org.

About OneTen

OneTen is a coalition of leading chief executives and their companies who are coming together to upskill, hire and promote one million Black Americans over the next 10 years who do not yet have a four-year degree into family-sustaining jobs with opportunities for advancement. We connect employers with talent partners, leading nonprofits, and other skill-credentialing organizations that support the development of diverse talent. By creating more equitable and inclusive workforces, we believe we can reach our full potential as a nation of united citizens. Join us at OneTen.org.

Per Scholas Phoenix’s Managing Director, Jaclyn Boyes, discusses the diversity initiatives Per Scholas is taking in Arizona and how the focus of this training program is the equity of opportunity to pursue a career in tech. “There’s a lot of overlooked talent here — Black, brown, female talent in particular — who are unemployed or underemployed, and they can have a successful career in tech,” Boyes said.

This AZ Tech Beat article mentions how companies can get more diversity in their startup, the benefits of diversifying companies now, and Jaclyn’s take on community impact with Per Scholas in Phoenix.  Jaclyn mentions how Per Scholas is impacting economic justice in the community when she mentioned, “these are really the jobs of today, the jobs that can change the course of a person’s life and their children’s life.  What we’re working on is really economic justice here.”

To learn more on this topic, read the full article here.

Here’s a recap of Per Scholas in the news for June!  This month, we were featured in the press with articles over Juneteenth, our impact in the New York job market, and featuring our learners and graduates.  To read all of our features, be sure to check out our links below!

• One story in Crain’s New York featured our EVP, Kenneth Walker, with an opinion piece about diversity in the workforce in Corporate America.  He challenges businesses and organizations to use their resources to diversify their workforce and stated, “companies should be turning to DEI consulting firms to better understand how bias plays out in their workplace so that they can build in processes that eliminate hiring biases that may be preventing diverse talent from joining their teams.” 
• Another article in Crains’ New York mentioned one of our learners as Per Scholas aims to lower New York’s unemployment rate through tech training.  
• Our New York recent exposure didn’t stop there. We were featured in the New York Times, where it was discussed that the comprehensive training approach has been refined at successful nonprofits, such as Per Scholas, that have spent decades dedicated to lifting people into the middle class. 
• Lastly, in Dallas, we were named as a finalist in D CEO’s Nonprofit and Citizenship Awards for Outstanding Innovation in Nonprofits! As we train individuals in technology, innovation is essential, so this nomination and announcement of us as finalists is monumental.  

Per Scholas has collaborated with Staten Island for our Satellite Partnership Initiative to better serve our New York community with a Staten Island site.  Per Scholas New York Managing Director Abe Mendez met with Borough President James Oddo to announce this exciting expansion news that is set to begin this fall at the Jewish Community Center.

With a fifth of New York’s open jobs being in technology, it is fitting that we begin to target the Staten Island community with our growth.  On our collaboration, Oddo said, “This is a world-class entity that is doing this training and job placement. This is the best in this genre. And it’s been doing great things in the other four boroughs. We’re essentially starting the relationship between Staten Island and Per Scholas, and in the fall bringing them to a home on Staten Island, which will be the JCC.”

Click here to learn more about this collaboration.

Dayna and Sadaf are two of hundreds of Per Scholas learners who received tech toolkits as part of our 1,000 Careers Campaign. 

Dayna Thomas Tucker, a Per Scholas learner, has personally benefited from the Raspberry Pi toolkit she received. The working mother of two has had a passion for technology and computers since she was young and would work on computers in school to try to figure out how they worked. 

We recently connected with Dayna, who reflected, “I received the Raspberry Pi toolkit and gave me access to hands-on experience that I needed. The Raspberry Pi is Linux based and Linux was not something that I was used to. I had to rely solely on commands and learn codes.  It  was an interesting and fun way for us to learn a new system that was not like my Windows computer. It was definitely something different, but a great experience for someone like myself that has never worked with that type of system before.” Dayna is currently completing her End User Desktop Support training and is set to graduate in June with her eyes set on a technology career. 

Another example of how these tech toolkits and laptops assisted in our learner’s success is that of Sadaf Haroon, who received a Macbook for her training.  Sadaf obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science originally, but had a gap in her employment once she became a mother.  Eager to return to the industry, she looked into Per Scholas’s training as a way to get back and freshen up her skills.

Now a Software Engineer at AT&T, Sadaf initially received multiple job offers within a week of graduation and mentioned how her training and career development at Per Scholas connected her with her current position.  Sadaf, an immigrant mother of three, was at first intimidated to resume a career in a thriving field as Tech. “Per Scholas made it easier for me to learn and now I am an earning member of my family. What can be greater than that?”

When we had the chance to chat with Sadaf, she shared, “It was a great initiative to provide the laptop.  I was able to keep up with online learning and materials covered in my course since the computer came equipped with everything I needed that was up to date according to the program. It was also exciting to pick up the device and meet according to CDC guidelines.”  

The impact of these toolkits is clear – enabling hundreds of learners to pursue training and open doors to high-growth careers in tech. 

Per Scholas Partners with Liquid Technology for #GivingTuesday Donation Drive

Champion partner Liquid Technology will match up to $10,000 on #GivingTuesday, allowing the tech training nonprofit to provide much-needed technical support to remote learners

New York, NY – December 1, 2020 – Today, national tech training nonprofit Per Scholas announced that its Champion Partner, Liquid Technology, will be matching all donations to the organization on #GivingTuesday, up to $10,000. Every dollar donated to the nonprofit before midnight will go directly to Per Scholas’ 1,000 Careers Campaign, which is providing technology toolkits to Per Scholas learners who need additional support in light of remote training.

With millions of Americans still unemployed due to COVID-19, Per Scholas is working to provide skills training and economic opportunities to those most often excluded from good paying, high-growth technology careers – particularly women and BIPOC. The 1,000 Careers Campaign will ensure that Per Scholas learners have access to the equipment they need, including a laptop, webcam, headphones, Wi-Fi access, and Raspberry Pi microcomputer, to help them complete training and find meaningful employment.

“Now more than ever, it’s important that individuals seeking to invest in their futures have the tools and training they need to succeed,” said Per Scholas CEO Plinio Ayala. “Per Scholas was founded to provide technology and tech skills to the communities that need them the most, and this continued support from Liquid Technology will allow us to extend opportunities to even more deserving learners.”

“As a long time Per Scholas partner, we know how important their efforts are to providing economic opportunity for communities of color, having been hit disproportionately hard by the Covid-19 pandemic,” shared Richard Greene, Liquid Technology Managing Partner. “We are honored to participate in Per Scholas’ Giving Tuesday campaign by matching funds. Liquid Technology takes great pride in supporting Per Scholas and their initiatives.”

Through Per Scholas’s tuition-free tech training programs, more than 12,000 job-seekers across the U.S. have received the technology skills, career foundation, and financial coaching they need to be successful in today’s workforce. Approximately 85% of learners graduate in 15 weeks, and alumni earn, on average, three times their pre-training wage in their first job after graduation. 

To donate and your contribution matched on #GivingTuesday, visit PERSCHOLAS.ORG/1000CAREERS 

About Per Scholas

Per Scholas is a national organization that has been advancing economic mobility for 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 with leading employers, from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups. With campuses in 14 cities, Per Scholas has trained more than 12,000 individuals in tech skills, building bridges to careers in technology. To learn more, please visit perscholas.org.

About Liquid Technology

Liquid Technology is a full-service IT asset disposition company that offers a complete suite of services designed to help companies manage their hardware assets. These services include Brokering and Purchasing Excess IT Equipment, Auditable Data Destruction, Environmental Disposal of Electronic Waste and IT Asset Management. To learn more, please visit liquidtechnology.net.

This is the time of year when Per Scholas supporters have the opportunity to make an impact on students and their communities by supporting Per Scholas and our mission of building onramps to technology careers through technical training and professional development. Last year, we heard success stories from Per Scholas graduates about how a job changes everything. This year, we have seen evidence that not only a job, but a good job, can be life changing.

A job helps our students stay on their feet. A good job with benefits that allows our graduates to utilize the skills they have acquired, not only supports their families, but also gives them a sense of belonging in the workplace. Our graduates deserve the professional roles they find themselves in after completing training.

And your support guarantees that we will be able to continue helping Per Scholas graduates find these opportunities.

Per Scholas NCR alumni Jamel Lattimore is the perfect example of how a little support can mean the world to one individual. “Before Per Scholas, I honestly didn’t have any hope,” Jamel says. “Per Scholas made me more confident, gave me people who support me. It helped me push past the roadblocks I was experiencing.” A good job changes everything, including Jamel’s confidence in himself. He now works fulltime for TEKSystems and feels incredibly supported by his employer.

There are hundreds more success stories like Jamel’s that have come from Per Scholas’ decades of commitment to our students. This fall we’ll share with you the story of veteran Renique King, as well as father Courtney Bryant, former customer service representative Blair Hilliard and many more from across the country. These are graduates who may have been employed when they came to Per Scholas, but their talents were wasted and their potential overlooked. Per Scholas helped each of them take their first real steps toward a fulfilling career and a better life.

With the help of generous donors like you continuing to support Per Scholas, we will be able to transform students lives with training, career coaching, financial guidance , and alumni services across six sites nationwide. The Per Scholas End of Year Campaign begins on Wednesday, November 8 and concludes on January 10. To find out more about our graduates and to give today, visit perscholas.org/donate.

Per Scholas is eager to announce our participation in the Columbus Foundation’s annual Big Give fundraising campaign! October 10th through October 11th, you can support Per Scholas’ mission to provide onramps for underemployed or unemployed community members with tuition-free technical training by giving a gift to Per Scholas Columbus via the Big Give website.

Since its opening in 2012, Columbus has impacted the surrounding community in a positive way, training students in IT and preparing them for careers in the technology sector. Last year, 85 students were enrolled and 93% of students graduated. Of those students, 82% were diverse and 35% were young adults ranging from 18 to 25 years old. Each year these numbers continue to grow in Columbus.

What is the Big Give?

Big Give is an online giving rally to make a difference through kindness. The Columbus Foundation, its family of donors, and community and corporate partners have worked to make sure that participating nonprofits receive 100% of the donations given. Donations received during the 26-hour online event will be eligible for bonus pool funds based on a pro rata basis. Everyone who gives will have their donation(s) amplified!

When is the Big Give?

The Big Give runs from Tuesday, October 10, 10:00 a.m. ET through Wednesday, October 11, 12:00 p.m. ET. Donations made to Per Scholas through The Big Give will be distributed by November 30.

Your generous donation during this 26-hour giving campaign allows Per Scholas Columbus to continue its great work of providing students with technology training and professional development skills. Because of campaigns like the Big Give, each one of our six national sites is able to not only train future IT professionals, but match them with employer partners as well. Per Scholas Columbus recently placed 100% of students in its latest cohort. We are not only helping individuals get sustainable careers in technology. We are helping to build better communities.

If you would like to support Per Scholas during this year’s Big Give, you can give online in the Giving Store. On the move? Give on the go by texting the code 8600 to (614) 230-0347.

Make sure you share your participation in the Big Give on social media by tagging @perscholas, @colsfoundation, and using the hashtags #BigGive and #LeadnTech.

Per Scholas is excited to partner with Macy’s for their Shop for a Cause Charity Challenge! By supporting Per Scholas with a $5 donation or more, you’ll receive an exclusive Macy’s Shop for a Cause savings pass.

Your donation will support Per Scholas’ goal to graduate over 1,000 individuals across our six sites in 2017. These future technologists are not just finding their next job, they are finding a career to grow and support their families, their communities and their new workplace.

By supporting Per Scholas, you’ll be saving at Macy’s! Visit https://www.crowdrise.com/per-scholas2 to start saving today!