Diverse by Design, in partnership with ITSMF, TEKsystems, and Per Scholas Chicago, hosted an intimate event focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B) at Cara Chicago. The event had a keynote discussion with Nikki Lanier, Founder and CEO of Harper Slade, featured the documentary The Road Up and a discussion led by Co-Director Greg Jacobs and held two-panel discussions about DEI&B efforts regarding diverse talent.

The Diverse by Design Chicago event was led by Damien Howard, Diverse by Design Co-Founder, and Per Scholas Chief Enterprise Solutions Officer. Here, Damien interacted with our esteemed guests to dive deeper into DEI&B challenges and solutions. In the keynote discussion with Nikki Lanier, Damien discussed corporate racial equity and engaging and retaining diverse talent through employee engagement. “The workplace is tremendously powerful in that it can be the source of such joy and replenishment, but it could also be the source of ammunition, muting, and stunting that doesn’t just contribute to how we work, but how we feel about ourselves,” Nikki reflected. “In my HR life, I was always really interested in employee engagement, but there are circumstances that give rise to really rich and meaningful employee engagement experiences, such as do we feel as though we are affirmed and valued and appreciated because of who we are, and not in spite of it.”

Following Nikki Lanier’s fireside chat, Greg Jacobs discussed his powerful documentary, The Road Up, which follows four participants in Cara, a Chicago-based job-training program. The film chronicles their search for stable employment and a pathway out of poverty. He then discussed the making of the film and its impact in the Chicago community. “[Cara] is an amazing place and we were so excited by the work that they do and so excited by the potential of everything that’s happening here that we wanted to tell the story,” Greg discussed. “We wanted to be part of the story to tell, and so as filmmakers, we got to be part of the story.”

Greg Jacobs then joined Jesse Teverbaugh, Cara Collective Director of Student & Alumni Affairs featured in The Road Up and Nikki Lanier for our first panel discussion, The Power of Alternative Skills Training, moderated by Damien Howard. 

Franklin Reed, Executive Director, Global Inclusion, Diversity and Equity at TEKsystems, and Diverse by Design Chair, introduced our second panel with insightful remarks regarding retaining top diverse talent and how the industry is moving towards attracting diverse talent to succeed in their roles.  “For decades, we have dictated where and how we attract and engage talent. That model used to work, and now we can either cooperate with this shift, or we can continue to resist it only to find ourselves on the outside looking in,” Franklin remarked. “However, now we are forced to invest in and engage talent pools that have been marginalized, underestimated, and on the lopsided distribution of opportunity.” 

The second panel discussion, Attraction Strategies and Talent Pipelines, was moderated by Nikki Lanier and featured panelists and Diverse by Design Board members Julie Dillman, Executive Vice President, Chubb Group; Senior Executive, Operations and Technology; and Digital Transformation Officer, Tina Simmons, SVP of Human Resources at Comcast Cable, NBCUniversal, and Maria Medrano, Sr. Director, Diversity Partnerships & External Engagement at Google. Here, this strong all-female panel covered topics on retaining diverse talent through meaningful engagement, attracting diverse talent for a multitude of perspectives, and creating corporate equity vs. equality. 

Additionally, we heard from Cara Plus Director of Expansion Strategy Liana Bran, who gave us information about Cara Chicago and their initiatives as a training program in Chicago. Per Scholas President and CEO Plinio Ayala closed out the event with remarks to challenge everyone in their diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives and his experience in doing so at Per Scholas. 

We are excited for our future Diverse by Design events and are thrilled about the important and enriching conversations held in Chicago that will challenge corporate DEI&B efforts. 

Watch the full event here!

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!

In very exciting news, this month marked the return of Per Scholas’ in-person networking events, which have been held remotely for the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Our first two events were held in Atlanta and Dallas and created learning opportunities for Per Scholas alumni and an opportunity for them to meet and network with funders, employer partners, and industry experts.

The Atlanta event, Per Scholas Atlanta Homecoming: Level Up, was held on June 2nd, at the Marquis Conference Center and Patio in Atlanta, Georgia. Current learners and Per Scholas alumni had the opportunity to network and connect with fellow Per Scholas graduates, meet our wonderful new Atlanta team and Advisory Board members, and gain insight from Per Scholas staff and special guest industry experts on ways to bring their careers to the next level. 

“The Atlanta Homecoming Event was meant to introduce the Atlanta Alumni to the new staff and to welcome alumni who took remote classes to their home campus,” Sherri Sims, the Managing Director of Per Scholas Atlanta explained. “Our goal was to meet the alumni and offer our support in ‘Leveling Up’ their careers. We offered a networking session and two panel discussions…Overall the event was a huge success and several alumni have received interviews and job offers as a result.” 

In the first panel discussion, attendees learned about great ways to improve their resumes and LinkedIn profiles in a presentation by Per Scholas Atlanta Business Solutions Director Teri Gittens, and Senior Manager of Career Advancement, Stephanie Spencer. Kelly Raper, a Talent Acquisition Partner from Sage Software was a special guest speaker, who provided some additional tips and insight to the eager audience.

In the second panel discussion, attendees were taught some tips on moving to the next level of their careers by Per Scholas Advisory Board Member Nicole D. Smith, from the Harvard Business Review, and Sherri Sims. Special guest speakers for this portion included Prabhu Sadasivam, the Senior Director of Software Engineering, Insurance Technology, at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, and Danielle Joiner McPherson, the Director of Global Reservations, Tech and Innovation at Delta Airlines.

Finally, attendees learned about networking best practices, ways to upskill in the tech field, and a wealth of alumni resources available to Per Scholas graduates. The event concluded with a Q&A session, a networking mixer, and an opportunity to have a professional headshot taken.

Our Dallas event, Per Scholas Dallas Leadership Connection – Stronger Together, was held on June 9th at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library in O’Hara Hall in Dallas, Texas. The event offered an inspiring afternoon of exploring the impact Per Scholas Dallas has on the lives of our learners and the workforce community, as well as insight on how individuals and organizations can get more involved with our work. Per Scholas Dallas graduates from 2020 forward were welcome to attend the event, and attendees had ample opportunity to network and connect with corporate and community partners, meet our passionate Dallas team, and hear from our successful Per Scholas graduates.

The event began with welcome remarks and an icebreaker by Per Scholas Dallas Director of Employer Partnership, Monique-Saré Jenkins. Attendees learned some key highlights about Per Scholas Dallas from Dallas Manager of Career Advancement Jason Cancino, Senior Manager of Recruiting and Admissions Ciara Owens, and Manager of Financial Capability Janell Pollard.

Next, attendees heard from Adedeji Adefuye, a 2020 Per Scholas Dallas IT Support alumni, who now works for Per Scholas as an Instructional Assistant. Adedeji’s story is one of inspiring success, and an excellent example of the ways in which a high-quality, cost-free tech education can change lives. Attendees then heard about “Funding the Mission,” from special guest speaker, Jay McCall, a Program Manager at the Rainwater Charitable Foundation, a private family foundation based in Fort Worth, Texas, that is dedicated to funding initiatives centered around education, and the ways in which it can change lives and communities. Finally, attendees learned about “Partnering With the Mission” from Stephanie Kline, the VP of Client Services at YUPRO, and Tirrany Nettles, YUPRO’s Director of Recruiting. YUPRO is an opportunity talent placement firm dedicated to creating diverse, inclusive workplaces.

Monique-Saré Jenkins concluded the event with a call-to-action for alumni, funders, and employer partners to get involved with making Per Scholas a success and changing the face of the technology industry.

“The Leadership Connection event was phenomenal,” Monique-Saré reflected afterward. “After two years of being apart, we wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to reestablish our footprint within the local community by inviting some of our alumni, funders, corporate partners, and other community leaders to build meaningful connections over lunch.”

We look forward to continuing to hold more in-person events as the year progresses and providing exciting and enriching opportunities to our learners, alumni, funders, and partners.

On June 8th, Per Scholas President and CEO, Plinio Ayala, spoke at the Social Innovation Summit in a Comcast NBCUniversal led panel discussion. Held in Washington, D.C. The Social Innovation Summit is a global social impact community whose events strive to bring together “the greatest innovators, changemakers, wayward thinkers, and black swans to come together to make real and lasting change towards social good.” Participants take part in discussions, debates, and networking opportunities to promote important ideas and work towards bringing about positive social change.

The two-day event featured numerous speakers, followed by a series of breakout room discussion sessions. Plinio was one of the featured speakers in the first breakout session of the second day. The 45-minute session, entitled “Driving Economic Mobility Through Digital Equity,” consisted of individual introductions followed by a series of questions intended to spark conversation amongst the speakers. The floor was then opened to questions from the audience, to promote audience participation.

Plinio’s fellow breakout session speakers included Michael Ellison, Co-Founder and CEO of CodePath.org, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that brings together employers, students, and colleges to eliminate inequities in technical education and recruiting, and Dwana Franklin-Davis, Chief Executive Officer of Reboot Representation, a Tech Coalition dedicated to closing the gender gap in tech by doubling the number of Black, Latinx, and Native American women earning bachelor’s degrees in computing by 2025. Their session was moderated by Gwyneth Gaul, Associate Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Community Impact at Comcast NBCUniversal.

The attendees discussed a variety of topics, including the shift to virtual learning during the pandemic, the role of innovation in each organization’s mission, each organization’s approach to partnership and collaboration, strategies to ensure that the economic mobility that digital equity provides remains sustainable in a rapidly changing world, and individual advice for potential funders evaluating digital equity. 

“There will be hundreds of thousands of jobs appearing in tech over the next few years that we can’t imagine right now,” Plinio told attendees. “At Per Scholas, we feel a strong sense of urgency, because the entry point is constantly moving. We provide the necessary tech training to ensure diverse, resilient people of color can get access to digital careers and take advantage of thriving wage opportunities.”

At the start of May, Per Scholas North Carolina welcomed North Carolina Congresswoman Virginia Foxx as our Commencement Speaker for our Software Engineering cohort. This was the inaugural graduation for Per Scholas North Carolina and Wilkes Community College’s recent partnership, in which Per Scholas teamed with NC Tech Paths to prepare our graduates to launch a thriving career in technology.

We are honored that Congresswoman Foxx delivered the Commencement Address to our eleven graduating technologists with a note on continuing education beyond graduation. “I am so excited about what is happening and I want to congratulate today’s graduating class on taking this step forward,” congratulated Congresswoman Foxx. “I want to applaud you for all your hard work in making that big life change. Your education doesn’t end once you graduate from this course. Education is a continual process, no matter what stage you’re in.”

This is a very special cohort – it is the first to matriculate as part of our innovative partnership with Wilkes Community College and since Per Scholas Charlotte expanded to become Per Scholas North Carolina, encompassing access to our cost-free tech training across the entire state. 

“We couldn’t be more excited for these graduates and the exciting opportunities coming their way in the near future. This graduation is a huge moment for North Carolina, and another big step forward in our partnership with Wilkes Community College and NC Tech Paths,” noted Per Scholas North Carolina Managing Director Mike Terrell. “I truly believe this is a blueprint to drive economic opportunity across the state, and I can’t wait to see the impact this partnership has in years to come!”

Per Scholas North Carolina is thrilled to continue our partnership with Wilkes Community College. With this first graduation in Software Engineering and eventually IT Support, Per Scholas and Wilkes Community College is set to train more than 300 learners over the next three years. 

This month, Per Scholas President and CEO Plinio Ayala was part of a LinkedIn Live discussion, Solving the Tech Talent Problem, with Bob Goodwin, Founder of Career Club. The event focused on the growing lack of tech talent for an abundance of available tech positions and how Per Scholas is solving the tech talent problem through our cost-free tech training and partnerships with industry-leading employers. 

Bob Goodwin, who also sits on the Advisory Board for Per Scholas Cincinnati, moderated the conversation and interviewed Plinio on the history of Per Scholas and our ability to pivot and grow in an ever-changing industry, moving from 100 individuals enrolled to the pathway to training 10,000. “We’re in an ever-changing business and our learners bring in-demand skills and continue to upskill themselves to remain relevant in the industry,” Plinio reflected. “We prepare our learners with career coaching and development skills so they are well-rounded individuals for employers.” 

In regards to how Per Scholas is solving the tech talent problem, we turn to our partners and the support we have with them to develop training tracks specific to their industry and business needs. “Companies can partner with an organization like Per Scholas so we can construct training specific to them and their job needs to obtain talent that is skilled for them,” Plinio mentioned. “You don’t need a degree to be successful, and these companies’ mindsets and approaches are shifting now to a different perspective. Per Scholas’s training is a way to redefine secondary education and a way to get corporations seeking talent to look at our learners through a different lens.”

Plinio reflected that Per Scholas’ training is a triple win: learners win by launching their careers in tech, employers win with great talent tailored to fit their business needs, and the economy wins with more citizens contributing to the economy. 

Additionally, Goodwin touched on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging and how Per Scholas is contributing to DEIB for employers.  “A more diverse staff lends to a stronger workforce, and creating a diverse workforce based on local demand is creating a consistent pipeline employers can depend on,” Plinio discussed. “Benefits of drawing from a diverse talent pool include that our learners are an immediate return for employers. The retention rates are higher as with Per Scholas graduates, with 50% more likely to stay with their company. Our graduates also hit the ground running because they are fully equipped with skills needed for work straight out of our training.”

Click here to watch the full LinkedIn Live event!

On May 5th, Per Scholas Chief Development Officer Caitlyn Brazill took part in a panel discussion, How Philanthropy Can Advance Economic Equality, hosted by NYU as part of an event series offered as a collaboration between Aperio Philanthropy and the George H. Heyman, Jr. Program for Philanthropy and Fundraising, within the NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs. 

Other panelists included Kristine Borok, the Chief Operating Officer and Acting Chief Development Officer of Hot Bread Kitchen, Dr. Stacy Dykstra, the Chief Executive Officer of Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, and Dr. Seft Hunter, the Director of Black-Led Organization and Power-Building at Community Change Action.

The panel sought to explore the ways in which philanthropists and funders have been—and should be—contributing to recovery from the pandemic and financial well-being of Americans going forward. Panelists discussed the role of philanthropy in efforts such as providing emergency support, expanding financial inclusion, alleviating poverty, and addressing the root causes of poverty.

In her remarks, Caitlyn emphasized that closing the opportunity gap in tech would allow Black communities across the country to accumulate billions of dollars more annually, benefiting the broader economy, local governments and communities and, more importantly, reducing economic inequities and increasing generational wealth for Black individuals and families.  

“Philanthropy can make a material and sizable difference,” Caitlyn said in her closing remarks. “In the 5 years I have been at Per Scholas, we went from training under 1,000 people a year to 4,000 this year – that’s 4,000 people with marketable skills they didn’t have on January 1st, and that’s $114M in new annual earnings going into the pockets of families around the country and into communities who are being left behind in this economic recovery. Thousands of people would not have had that chance if it wasn’t for the generous investment of foundations and companies and individuals who trusted us and believed in our mission. I feel good every day for the part I can play in helping people transform their own economic future, and I’m grateful for our partners who invest in that work.” 

On April 6, Per Scholas partner ActivateWork hosted Elevating Colorado’s Economy by Launching Tech Careers, a robust conversation featuring Governor Jared Polis, Denver-area leading employers, ActivateWork Powered by Per Scholas graduates and Per Scholas’ own Chief Development Officer, Caitlyn Brazill.

“Our partnership with ActivateWork is truly unique, and a critical piece of Per Scholas’ ambitious scaling plan,” remarked Caitlyn Brazill. “Together, we can make opportunity ubiquitous in Colorado.”

ActivateWork, powered by Per Scholas, began offering tuition-free technical training in 2020 and to date, has graduated more than 120 diverse individuals in skills ranging from IT Support to Software Engineer to Cybersecurity and more. In 2021 alone, 48 graduates launched careers in tech at companies including, Bank of America, Trimble, FirstBank, Dish Network, and more. ActivateWork, powered by Per Scholas, will train more than 1,200 Denver-based learners in tech skills over the next five years, boosting the region’s economy and continuing to launch tech careers in Colorado. 

On April 28, 2022, Per Scholas President and CEO Plinio Ayala delivered keynote remarks at The Excel Center’s National Conference. The conference, held in Indianapolis, focused on Goodwill Industries’ mission to prepare students for college and ensuring schools are up-to-date for educating community members eager to expand their knowledge – in short, preparing the 21st century workforce.  

Similarly to Goodwill Industries’ mission to prepare individuals to enter the workforce, Per Scholas has been a champion for workforce development for our learners and graduates.  During his keynote address, Plinio highlighted the ways Per Scholas creates more equitable economic opportunity. 

Speaking on Per Scholas and Excel Center training offerings, Plinio reflected, “I know that tomorrow morning, millions of Americans will wake up looking for that one opportunity that will change the trajectory of their lives, the future for their families – and many will go to bed not having found that one chance. Excel Center and Per Scholas must continue to persevere and provide opportunity to as many Americans as we can. Not because it is a good thing to do, but because it is the right thing to do.”

Diverse by Design, powered by Per Scholas and ITSMF, continues to lead the way, helping  businesses create a workplace that promotes and implements diversity, equality, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) efforts.  This upcoming year, which started with our first event in January, with leadership from Per Scholas Greater Boston, Diverse by Design will keep the momentum going on for DEIB and what it means for businesses.

We kicked off the year with a Greater Boston regional event on January 25.  Mosaic, Not Melting Pot: Fostering True Belonging in the Workplace featured an esteemed panel of local DEIB leaders who explored what true belonging looks like and the relationship between belonging and workforce retention. Moderated by Ladi Olaoye, Diversity & Inclusion Consultant at Diversity@Workplace Consulting Group and President Emeritus of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Boston Professionals Chapter, panelists included Enna Jimenez, Business Transformation & Quality Leader, Senior Director, IDEMIA; Guy Pacitti, Global Leader of Inclusion and Diversity, Pegasystems; and Gene Suzuki, CIO, EverQuote. The event also featured remarks by Diverse by Design Co-Founder Ken Walker and Per Scholas Greater Boston Managing Director Robin Nadeau and an interactive networking opportunity for all guests. 

“Businesses must perform. In order to perform, we need different perspectives; we need diversity in our workforce for us to perform,” reflected Gene Suzuki. “We know the diversity in our organization is what makes us strong – that we can solve problems in ways others haven’t been able to solve.” 

Per Scholas is proud to celebrate the establishment of the Diverse by Design National Advisory Board, with Franklin Reed, Executive Director of Inclusion and Diversity at TEKsystems, presiding as Chair.  We know these national advisors will be instrumental in promoting solutions-driven conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion within tech; producing meaningful content that empowers C-suite leaders to make valuable and socially impactful business decisions; and providing access to sophisticated customized training and talent sourcing solutions to meet companies’ talent demands while transforming the diversity within their own companies. 

You can also expect to hear more from our Diverse by Design podcast as we launch Season Two later in the year. We will continue to share the stories of visionaries who are changing the diversity landscape of tech. To stay connected with Diverse by Design, subscribe to The Diverse by Design Download, featuring DEIB reflections, updates, and tips as you strive to create change within your organization.