Last night, June 12, Per Scholas honored three outstanding partners whose contributions of time and talent, employment opportunities, funding, vision and leadership have played a key role in creating bright futures for our graduates.

More than 250 of our closest industry leaders and supporters mingled with many of Per Scholas’ accomplished alumni–namely featured speakers of the night Greg Lee, Tristan Delgado and keynote speaker Shannon Branch–at the Grand Hyatt Hotel for the third annual ROI dinner. It was a night of fun, food, inspiration, and Mariachi music provided by the all-female group Flor de Toloache.

We were honored to celebrate the contributions of Barclays and Keith Klain, whose ingenuity and generosity built the Per Scholas Software Testing Education Program (STEP) last year. As a direct result, close to 100 students have completed STEP training, with graduates earning average salaries o $36,000. The final honoree of the night, IT consulting firm Doran Jones, saw promise in Mr. Klain’s vision of a software testing center in the Bronx. Now, Doran Jones is Per Scholas’ private-sector partner on our software testing job creation initiative. Doran Jones will operate the new Urban Development Center (UDC), co-located at Per Scholas’ headquarters in the South Bronx, and provide software testing to its clients. We look forward to seeing 150 Per Scholas STEP graduates employed at the UDC over the next 18 months. An incredible commitment.

The message was repeated many times in the night. We could not do any of this without the support of those who support and inspire us, our corporate partners. Special thanks to our sponsors, including Barclays, Bloomberg, the Creating IT Futures Foundation, Dell, Doran Jones, JPMorgan Chase, High Point Solutions, NYSE-Euronext, Prudential, and generous donors Con Edison, Control Group, EMC, and Vicom.

Thanks to the generosity of our attendees, the ROI Corporate Dinner was just as much about looking forward as it was about celebrating our past successes. A quarter of a million dollars was raised through the generosity of our sponsors and individual guests, to go towards our students like Shannon, Greg and Tristan, who have ended cycles of poverty and unemployment through access to Per Scholas’ technology education and job services.

In giving the final award of the night, the Innovator of the Year award to Doran Jones, Per Scholas Executive Director Angie Kamath expressed: “Leadership takes vision, a bit of risk-taking, and an ability to dream beyond what is directly in front of you.” We are so lucky to have partners that step up to that tall order to allow us to continue growing and provide life-changing opportunities for our incredible, deserving students.

Pencil in ROI 2015 and continue to support the important work of Per Scholas and spread the word to others. There are many ways to help us rebuild communities. Volunteer your time to a student, be part of expanding the UDC, help us enter new cities across the country, make a personal gift, hire a graduate, or join an advisory or board role. With your contributions, Per Scholas will continue to grow.

“It is a real joy to be around Per Scholas staff and alumni – we seem to be a real happy group.” That was a parting comment from a Per Scholas Cincinnati alumna who attended the Per Scholas National Capital Region grand opening on April 22. She was one of many (happy) special guests.

Per Scholas could not be more excited for its fourth and newest site in Silver Spring, Maryland, serving the surrounding National Capital Region with IT-Ready training. The grand opening event took place April 22 with the presence of Acting Assistant Secretary Eric Seleznow, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor; President and CEO Msgr. Rev. John Enzler of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington; Leonard Howie, Secretary of Labor, Licensing and Regulation for the State of Maryland; Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett; Ed Glabus of ManTech International Corporation, representation from Congressman Chris Van Hollen’s office — and many others.

The event began with a roundtable discussion with Assistant Secretary Seleznow and five IT-Ready graduates – one from each IT-Ready operation, New York, Columbus, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, and a current student from Silver Spring. They were joined by President and CEO of Per Scholas, Plinio Ayala, CEO of Creating IT Futures Foundation, Charles Eaton, and Father John of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington.

“I worked for 18 years as a computer programmer. I was laid off and unemployed for nearly three years. I used up my pension, my savings, my unemployment. My family and I were surviving on credit cards when I found Per Scholas,” shared one graduate who is a mother of three. She is now working full-time as an IT consultant with ComResource at Nationwide.

“I was laid off after working for a company for many years. I couldn’t even get a job at the local hardware store. After Per Scholas, I now work for HealthPartners and make enough to not have to worry anymore for my kids. Simple things like going to the grocery store stress free about paying the bill is such a huge relief,” another graduate shared with the guests and peers.

Assistant Secretary Seleznow listened with his undivided attention. “I hear stories all across the country like yours – hard working people with great skills and attitudes that just need a little bit of assistance and an opportunity to succeed. You have done that! I am happy to say we have a President and Vice President in the White House right now that are listening to these concerns and have made it a priority to respond to need and support innovative job driven solutions like Per Scholas. Thank you for sharing with me today.”

After additional guests arrived, the roundtable was followed by a program with remarks from Per Scholas and partner leadership, local government officials and employers. The message was clear: the need for Per Scholas is abundant, both in the communities we serve and among employers.

“We consistently have 100-200 open jobs in IT and Cyber.” Ed Glabus of ManTech International Corporation shared in his speech to the audience at the inaugural event. “These jobs will not stop growing, the workforce will never catch up to the demand. That’s why programs like Per Scholas are a great solution and that is why I’m here today.”

Catholic Charities Per Scholas

The first class is now in session with 15 students at its permanent location at 700 Roeder Road. The class will graduate May 23. The celebration was held to introduce and highlight Per Scholas and the IT-Ready program – a free 8-week job training course providing high quality hands-on technical skills learning and professional soft skills development to unemployed and underemployed individuals. The course teaches to the CompTIA A+ certification, which prepares candidates for entry-level help-desk and technical support roles. The Per Scholas model has been proven successful through independent studies, triggering its growth into new markets. In its first year, 80 students drawn from the National Capital Region will be trained in Silver Spring. Historically, 85 percent of Per Scholas participants graduate and obtain industry certification and 75 percent of graduates land jobs.

Even among these prestigious guests, the stars of the event were obvious among everyone — the 15 Per Scholas students. Each individually gave personal guided tours through the space to each guest, provided photography services of the event, presented in front of the crowd at the podium, and, most proudly, networked, networked, networked. They looked sharp, were incredibly kind and personable, and Per Scholas could not be more proud of these newest members to our growing family.

Bridgette Gray

Per Scholas extends its deepest thanks to the guest speakers, its supporters Creating IT Futures Foundation, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, and the Community Foundation of Montgomery County, and the Silver Spring community for a very warm welcome.

We look forward to engaging with local partners and employers. The takeaway message from Managing Director Bridgette Gray of Per Scholas Silver Spring is clear: “Hire our graduates. And if you can’t, then introduce Per Scholas to a person who can.”

Four accomplished technologists from a federal intelligence agency, NYC government, a leading philanthropic foundation, and the fashion house of Dolce & Gabbana- we could not have asked for more diversity in terms of the companies that were represented at the IT Panel at Per Scholas yesterday. However, there was a more powerful and striking commonality amongst our 4 speakers: they were all women, and all women of color. The 40 female Per Scholas students who attended were inspired, wowed, and simply excited to see strong powerful women make it in IT – and importantly these 4 professionals came from the same communities in many cases as our students.

The advice flowed for 2 hours and if our guest speakers did not have to leave, I am pretty certain they could have held a captive audience for another 2 hours! Hearing about the experiences of being a women in a male dominated industry was honest and a good eye opener for our women in tech students. While the entire session was compelling and chock full of advice here are a few of the reflections that resonated with me include:

1. Be tough, be prepared, and expect to be held under greater scrutiny simply because you are a woman.
2. 75% of being an IT professional is research – know how and from whom to find out new information. Always self study and use every tool and mentor you can.
3. Always keep your hand up – offer to help on anything to advance in your career. Mentors and sponsors will notice you and will help.
4. Find the smartest person in your area of interest and make it your business to meet and learn from them regularly.
5. Network! Network! Network! Get to the point in your career when you don’t need to apply for jobs formally, but rather you get tapped for new positions because of your reputation and work ethic.
6. Don’t cry. Ever. And if you are so frustrated or upset and you need to – get yourself to a private spot or the bathroom ASAP! (Or “pretend you poked yourself in the eye by accident”!)

Great advice, and advice backed by experience. And why might our students listen and take heed? Because these same guest speakers who are on top of their games professionally, have had their share of personal challenges and growth opportunities. The speakers candidly shared their stories – whether it was about starting out as a secretary, being out of work for years, being homeless for 2 years, or giving up the chance to go to college to care for her children. And they shared and held these experiences with pride – because they never let anything get in their way. They resolved to not accept their realities and to be smart and creative and ambitious to change their path. That is courage and perseverance up close and personal.

For those of us in the room yesterday – we shared in a powerful moment together. Seeing strong, brave, accomplished women guide and share their stories to a new crop of future technologists was one of those moments that no one in the room will forget for years to come. You can view the pictures from the panel by clicking here.

Bronx-based IT job training nonprofit, Per Scholas, Attends White House Event Focused on Serving the Long-Term Unemployed

Plinio Ayala, Per Scholas President & CEO, meets with Vice President Joe Biden to discuss strategy, scale and implementation

Bronx, N.Y. January 31, 2014 — Per Scholas, a national non-profit providing free IT job training and career support to individuals in underserved communities, will attend a White House event on Friday, January 31 convened by President Obama to discuss strategies for helping our nation’s nearly 4 million long-term unemployed get back into the labor market. President and CEO Plinio Ayala is attending to share the Per Scholas approach to serving the long-term unemployed and will sit with Vice President Biden to discuss how to strengthen skills training across the country.

Sector partnerships will be one of the strategies featured at the event as a tool to help the long-term unemployed re-train for new well-paying, family-supporting careers. These business-led partnerships bring together multiple firms within the same industry along with local colleges, training providers, community-based organizations and workforce investment boards. These employers work together to define common skill standards for hard-to-fill positions, and then partner organizations align publicly funded training and support services to prepare people for those jobs.

Mr. Ayala has been called to the White House to share the successes of Per Scholas in building such partnerships to re-employ local residents in the Information Technology industry. One of the hallmarks of the approach is that it is employer-driven with a growing list of employer partners who play an integral role in the program and graduates’ success. They include ASI System Integration, Barclays, Bloomberg, Cablevision, JPMorgan Chase, Neuberger Berman, NYSE Euronext, Pomeroy, Time Warner and many others.

A number of organizations promoting the national expansion of sector partnerships will also be in attendance, including National Skills Coalition and Business Leaders United for Workforce Partnerships. Other event participants will include CEOs from national corporations, small- and medium-sized employers, foundations, and other local organizations working to help the long-term unemployed in a variety of ways.

Secretary of Labor Tom Perez and Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker will be joining President Obama at the event to discuss a number of new efforts by the Obama Administration to bring new attention to the long-term unemployed. Among those efforts, it is anticipated that President Obama will be announcing new support for sector partnerships and other workforce intermediaries working with the long-term unemployed, building on the successful models developed by such organizations as Per Scholas.

Per Scholas provides free IT training, career development services, and job placement support for unemployed adults who have the drive but lack the skills to succeed in the IT industry. The Creating IT Futures Foundation, the philanthropic arm of CompTIA, partnered with Per Scholas to form the IT-Ready training network and spurred the national expansion of the program. IT-Ready has served 5,000 people to date in New York, Cincinnati and Columbus, OH, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and the National Capital Region. The network will grow to eight cities by 2016 and will train more than 1,000 individuals annually. Learn more at www.perscholas.org.

Last night, June 12, 2013, Per Scholas honored Barclays and Joe Squeri, Chief Information Officer, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth and Investment Management, at our second annual R.O.I. corporate dinner.

Thanks to the committed partnership of Barclays and other generous sponsors, Per Scholas raised over $470,000 — a record amount in Per Scholas’ history — to support its free IT-Ready job training for hundreds of unemployed and underemployed adults in New York City and nationally. Over 300 corporate IT leaders joined us at the Grand Hyatt at Grand Central Station for an evening of fun, food and celebration.

The annual R.O.I. dinner celebrated our accomplishments with the corporate partners who play so many key roles in creating better futures for our graduates. We were thrilled to recognize the high level of impact that Joe and his colleagues have brought to Per Scholas. In a very short time, Barclays has engaged with Per Scholas in four essential areas – providing major funding, volunteers, employment opportunities and board leadership. The Per Scholas student representatives also stole the show. Graduate Servon Lewis, Neuberger Berman, was the keynote student speaker sharing his personal experience with the audience, moving many to tears. Graduate Michelle HarpervanRabenswaay, Barclays, presented the award to Joe with an emotional and inspiring speech as well.

The evening was a perfect mix of being moving, inspiring and fun. Per Scholas would like to thank all its partners who made the R.O.I. dinner a major success. Photos from the evening can be viewed here on the Per Scholas Facebook page.

Special thanks to High Point Solutions, Tom Mendiburu, and Greg Tusar for their very generous contributions from the evening — and the enthusiastic participants in our Heads & Tails auction. And lastly, and most importantly, we thank our sponsors whose generosity made this evening possible.

Barclays, Honoree and Opportunity Sponsor

Opportunity Sponsors: Cognizant, Creating IT Futures, Good Technology, High Point Solutions, Prudential, SAP

Reach Sponsors: Accenture, Broadridge, Capgemini, Ernst & Young, Dell, Informatica,McKinsey, NYSE-Euronext, PwC, QASymphony, Salesforce, Sungard, TCS, WWT

The Per Scholas Board of Directors

Last year, at our very first ROI (Reach Opportunity Impact) Dinner, Per Scholas recognized the leadership of JPMorgan Chase, one of our longest-term corporate partners, and Guy Chiarello, the bank’s most recent Chief Information Officer. This year we are proud to honor one of our very newest – Barclays and Joe Squeri, Chief Information Officer of Barclays Corporate & Investment Bank – at the second annual ROI dinner on June 12, 2013.

Per Scholas’ annual ROI dinner celebrates our accomplishments with the corporate partners large and small who play so many key roles creating better futures for our graduates. We are thrilled to recognize the high level of impact that Joe and his colleagues have brought to Per Scholas. In a very short time, Barclays has engaged with Per Scholas in four essential areas – providing major funding, volunteers, employment opportunities and board leadership. The impact has already begun to take shape.

“Joe and Barclays have stepped up to the plate in a big way, contributing major funding and volunteers for our program along with job opportunities for our graduates,” says Plinio Ayala, Per Scholas President and CEO. “They understand effective corporate citizenship and are deeply supportive of our mission to help the New Yorkers most affected by the jobs crisis. They are making an enormous difference.”

“At Barclays, supporting our local communities is core to our culture. Per Scholas has been a great community partner for Barclays, and one with a proven track record of success for the young people in its IT job training and placement program. I am proud for Barclays to serve as a role model for other companies that are just getting to know Per Scholas, and I look forward to introducing more people to its work,” expressed Joe Squeri, Barclays.

To learn more about the Per Scholas ROI dinner and to join us in celebrating Joe Squeri and Barclays on June 12.

Time Warner Cable has been a loyal and committed employer partner of Per Scholas since 2008. The company has hired 71 Per Scholas graduates and counting over the course. We hope to make 2013 a record breaking year matching our graduates to the company’s hundreds of jobs.

On Wednesday, February 27, Per Scholas will host Time Warner Cable to conduct an all-day open house — and it is open to the public. Time Warner Cable is hiring driving technicians/cable installers to service its Brooklyn region.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Per Scholas 804 East 138th Street, 2nd Floor, Bronx, NY 10465

Please visit the Time Warner Cable website and apply prior to attending the event at http://jobs.timewarnercable.com/search?q=142262. Be sure to bring a hard copy of your resume and the online application confirmation number.

Essential Job Functions

• Perform subscriber installations and routine drop maintenance.
• Perform quality control inspection on contractor and in house installations.
• Troubleshoot subscribers drop from television set to tap to pert and correct all problems.
• Maintain tools and equipment and perform routine inspections on company vehicles.
• General warehouse and minor converter repair duties.
• Complete daily paperwork as necessary.

Job Requirements/Qualifications

Must have a High School Diploma or GED; at least 0-3 months of previous experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Must be able to work with various hand tools such as electric drills, hammers, wrenches, screwdrivers, etc. Knowledge of CATV preferred. Must have a valid driver’s license with a clean driving record. Able to prioritize while working in a fast paced environment. Must successfully complete all company required training. Will also be required to work overtime, weekends and late shifts as needed. This position is part of a bargaining unit.

Time Warner Cable provides generous benefits. Health care and retirement benefits are significant portions of the total compensation package at TWC, and we invest more in those benefits than most employers. In addition, we offer tuition reimbursement, adoption assistance, competitive paid-time-off programs, work-life resources, and discounted pricing on TWC residential products and services for employees within our footprint. Our hope is that, by providing our employees with rich and flexible benefits, we can help them take care of the people who matter most – at work and at home.

Time Warner Cable is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V/D We are committed to a drug free workplace

Two last-minute entries – Polaris and NASDAQ – took home the tournament trophies last night at PING!, the first annual Per Scholas ping-ping extravaganza, as nearly 250 supporters raised $50,000+ for Per Scholas’ work. The sum is enough to supply an entire year of Per Scholas students with their textbooks and other learning materials.

The uproariously fun evening featured unlimited ping-pong, food, drink and not a small share of competitive spirits at SPiN NYC, New York’s premiere ping-pong venue. The event’s corporate sponsors — including NASDAQ, Prudential, Accenture, the Creating IT Futures Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, FLSV, Lenox Advisors and EMC — vied for berths in the finals match along with teams of individual supporters. Prizes included the instantly coveted trophies, along with upcoming tickets to The Daily Show and a Knicks match (both courtesy of Technology for Social Good at JPMorgan Chase).

Because the event costs were underwritten by Per Scholas’ Board of Directors, 100% of the evening’s proceeds will help fund our IT Professional Training Program, expected to enroll 400 students (including more than 80 returning U.S. veterans) this year. Thanks to board members Plino Ayala, Derek Braddock, Sara Lander, Carolyn Landis, Gregory Sills, Joseph Squeri and John Hoyt Stookey for their especially generous contributions. Thanks as well to all the members of our 2012 Host Committee, who not only contributed personally but sold scores of tickets.

Last but definitely not least, thanks to everyone else who attended and made the evening such a wonderful success. We were literally overwhelmed by the positive reaction and can’t wait to begin planning PING! again next year!

We are very excited to announce PING!, our Fall 2012 ping-pong extravaganza to benefit Per Scholas. The event will be hosted at SPiN New York, Manhattan’s premiere ping-pong social venue. Thanks to the Per Scholas Board of Directors covering all upfront expenses, 100-percent of the proceeds will go directly to support our free IT training and job placement services for hundreds of low-income and unemployed New Yorkers.

We would also like to acknowledge our host committee, comprised of board members along with key corporate and individual supporters. They have committed to making this event a huge success. Thank you to Ami Ariel, Plinio Ayala, Derek Braddock, Barbara Chang, Adam Nalewajek & Carolyn Gamanos, Tom & Catherine Holmes, Alice Huang, Carolyn Landis, Jessica Leavitt, Diane Lenz, Greg Sills, John Stookey, Ali Marano, Justin Model, Iris Otano, and Michael Wilson.

Prudential returned as a corporate sponsor for PING! They supported our spring ROI Dinner event as an Opportunity sponsor. Their continued commitment is humbling. We extend our thanks. We also welcome two new sponsors, Lenox Advisors and FSLV, along with board members — Plinio Ayala, Derek Braddock, Carolyn Landis and Greg Sills — who have purchased sponsorships themselves. Thanks to everyone for supporting our mission and fall event!

Tickets start at $125 and include unlimited food, beer, wine and as much ping-pong as you can handle. A doubles tourney will be hosted as well for the competitive types, and there will be fabulous prizes! Tickets are very limited and will go fast. Buy yours today.

On May 3, 2012, Per Scholas will mount its first-ever ROI (Reach – Opportunity – Impact) Corporate Dinner. We are very excited that this event will honor Guy Chiarello, Chief Information Officer of JPMorgan Chase and one of the most widely admired corporate IT leaders in the world.

JPMorgan Chase, Guy and his Technology for Social Good team have grown to become deeply committed Per Scholas allies and supporters. Their partnership extends well beyond funding to include internships and employment for graduates, voluntarism by employees and extensive in-kind support (including support for developing this website). The bank is equally committed to other nonprofit IT workforce development organizations, and to the field as a whole. We could not be more pleased by this opportunity to express our gratitude, and to highlight the benefits of partnering with Per Scholas for other supporters, new and old.

Table prices/sponsorships for the evening reception and dinner at 1 Chase Manhattan Plaza range from $15,000 to $50,000. All proceeds will help make possible Per Scholas’ free IT training and other programs serving low-income families and communities. To reserve a sponsorship or for more information, please click here.

Update: The dinner on May 3 was a great success, raising more than $400,000 for Per Scholas’ work.