We are thrilled that the launch of our new Per Scholas Houston campus was featured in Community Impact!

Read the article.

While many companies have mentioned diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as a priority, less than half of organizations have a mature DEI strategy in place. Together with TEKsystems, we created a helpful infographic to empower organizations to consider a true commitment to a diversity program from activating a plan, implementing change, and assessing your progress.

Check out our four tips for evaluating your diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy

View and download the full PDF here.

Earlier this month, Per Scholas was proud to attend and present during several sessions at Horizons, Jobs for the Future’s premier national platform for ideas and action that drive equitable economic advancement for all. This year’s theme, “Without Limits” inspired attendees, encouraged collaboration, and jumpstarted solutions for essential work ahead. Per Scholas Chief of Staff Tamara Johnson and Per Scholas Director of Development Kevin Aspegren attended the summit to gain key industry knowledge and insights aligned with Per Scholas’ commitment to unlocking potential for our learners, alumni, communities, companies, and economy.

Per Scholas Chief Development Officer Caitlyn Brazill spoke during a Pre-Session Panel centered on Skills-First Education and Work with leaders from JFF, Franklin Cummings Tech, and Opportunity@Work, encouraging attendees to embrace skills-first learning and hiring and consider the positive impact to advance Black learners and workers.

On the first day of the conference, Regional Senior Vice President Noah Mitchell shared his insight during the Partnering with Employers to Rethink Talent Pipelines Workshop, sponsored by Charles Koch Foundation. Moderated by Andy Tonsing, Director of Postsecondary Education at Stand Together, Noah was joined by Daniel Cervantes, Senior Vice President of Skills for America’s Future to bring participants through a thought exercise to consider innovative ways to build employer partnerships. 

Noah reflected, “The Workshop was energetic, and participants brought really creative approaches to the discussion. The ability to share just one unique way Per Scholas partners with businesses – in rethinking talent pipelines by developing tech apprenticeship programs – was incredible, and I know it sparked ideas of collaboration for the future. When we invest in programs that work, we all win.”

Caitlyn participated in a panel discussion, moderated by Dan Kamins, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships at Comcast, titled “Iteration and Innovation: Expanding Access to Digital Jobs,” joining leaders from AZ Cyber Initiative and Hampton Roads Workforce Council. The session convened practitioners, employers, and training and credential providers to share best practices and strategies to increase the number of Black, indigenous, Latinx, people of color, women, LGBTQIA, and other populations underrepresented within the IT industry. 

Common themes throughout Horizons included Artificial Intelligence, skills-based hiring, the importance of digital skills, equity, and considering what individuals can do “without limits” in hiring, training, developing, and retaining talent. 

JFF Horizons sparked many essential conversations around creating economic equity and advancement for all. Per Scholas was thrilled to attend the conference and even more so to share our insight on unlocking potential within our learners by empowering them with new digital skills and sparking new ways of engaging with employer partners. 

Tearing the Paper Ceiling: Let Skills Shine

Skills are powerful. In its purest form, a skill is the ability to do something well. Let’s take my son’s favorite sport into consideration: soccer. Some skills are natural, like body-balance and coordination. Others are learned, improved, and refined over time, like dribbling, trapping, and teamwork. His favorite player, Sadio Mane of Senegal, has an innate ability, but has also dedicated his focus to develop and perfect his skills over time. 

For too long, skills have been overlooked and undervalued in the American hiring process, relying on proxies for preparedness in place of proof of preparedness. That’s why I’m so proud of our friends at Opportunity@Work for their unwavering commitment to rewire the labor market so that everyone can contribute their skills, talent, and energy in pursuit of a better life, an equitable America, and a stronger economy for all. 

Tearing the Paper Ceiling and Unlocking Potential for STARs

O@W is galvanizing our nation to Tear the Paper Ceiling and recognize the untapped potential of the 70+ million American workers who are STARs – Skilled Through Alternative Routes. STARs make up half of the U.S. workforce and for decades, have been excluded from good, high-wage jobs. STARs grow skills and knowledge through community college, proven workforce training programs like Per Scholas, bootcamps, certificate programs, military service, on-the-job learning, and more.

According to a recent survey by Indeed, two thirds of job seekers across the nation believe they were overlooked for a job they were qualified for because they did not have the degree listed in the job description. We’re stifling potential instead of unlocking it, creating even greater opportunity gaps. 

Because Per Scholas is a tech and essential skills trainer, let’s examine the facts facing our nation’s technology workforce. The most recent jobs report reveals there were 234,000 tech job openings in April, far outnumbering the number of applicants. I’d surmise that many STARs didn’t even apply, seeing a college degree as a minimum requirement to put forth their credentials. It’s disheartening. 

As Chief Training Officer at Per Scholas, it’s our learners and alumni who fuel my passion. More than half of our learners are STARs, and the skills they’ve acquired during our 12 to 15 week tuition-free training stand on the shoulders of the skills they already possess: perseverance, time management, tenacity, passion, collaboration, problem-solving and beyond. Plus, they earn a variety of CompTIA certifications – industry recognized credentials that again, prove their mastery of the skills they’ve learned in their training.

Learners like Brittany, who knew a career in tech was for her, and what would provide the economic freedom for her family. Brittany brought resourcefulness, resilience and an inquisitive attitude to her IT Support training every day. She worked the overnight shift, cared for her young daughter, and always arrived to training early, ready to shine.

Hearing stories and experiences like Brittany’s – and thousands of Per Scholas STARs – motivates me in my work, advocating for skills-based hiring.

Solutions for Skills Based Hiring

A year ago, Maryland passed a bill that eliminated degree requirements from thousands of state job postings, far increasing the application pool and ultimately creating more equity. And valuing people for the skills they bring to the table, not the piece of paper. I’m hopeful many more leaders in the public sector will follow suit. I’m encouraged that many private sector companies, from Intel to Amazon and Dell to Google are removing 4-year degrees as a mandatory requirement for a variety of technical roles. This powerful action unlocks potential and creates pathways to a strong middle class.

Employers are the key change agents here, and they win by gaining a more productive and thriving workforce if they’re brave enough to activate skills based hiring. I think Henry Ford said it best: “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” If we continue to exclude talent from the onset, we’ll continue to have hundreds of thousands of open tech jobs each month. 

In 12 to 15 weeks, Per Scholas learners graduate from our rigorous, tuition-free tech skills training in a variety of the most in-demand disciplines our tech sector needs: Java Development, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, IT Support, Salesforce Administration, and more.

It’s the essential skills they refine, like professionalism, perseverance, creative problem solving, and the hard skills they learn like pen testing and networking protocols that make Per Scholas STARs tip-top applicants. Our graduates are ready to make a difference day one on the job. 

Let their proven skills training with Per Scholas serve as the proof of preparedness. Let STARs shine.

Per Scholas Baltimore, led by Managing Director Jessica Diaz Council, was featured in Technical.ly Baltimore, highlighting their skills training and professional development aspects. The Baltimore campus holds mock interviews and headshot lounge sessions in addition to our tuition-free tech training.

The article also noted Per Scholas Baltimore’s efforts to close the diversity gap in tech and recent Bank of America Neighborhood Builders award and featured alumna LaLonnie Moseley’s story.

Read the full story here!

On May 15, more than 25 leaders from TD Bank volunteered their time and participated in mock interviews with a Cybersecurity Cohort of Per Scholas learners from Atlanta, Newark, and Boston. Corporate volunteerism is critical in Per Scholas’ training and provides an opportunity to connect with business leaders and gain industry insight. 

TD Bank leaders had a chance to give back by helping aspiring technologists improve their communication skills, learn about key technical content, and better understand varied corporate cultures. Volunteers had the opportunity to provide insight on their technical skills, social and emotional intelligence at work, and career pathways through mock interviews. The advice and insight given greatly impacts Per Scholas learners. Through this interaction, learners are able to increase their knowledge about a corporate environment and gain valuable practice speaking with a working technical professional.

To learn how you can volunteer with Per Scholas, reach out to Robert Wilhelm at rwilhelm@perscholas.org.

Earlier this spring, Per Scholas received $50,000 from the Citizens Philanthropic Foundation for our Per Scholas Alumni Upskilling program, which provides continued support to our alumni after they leave Per Scholas. Focuses of the program include  access to career and financial counseling, upskilling courses, and more. 

This funding was part of a commitment by Citizen Bank’s Citizens Charitable Foundation and Citizens Philanthropic Foundation to grant $350,000 to support technical training and career counseling in the state of New Jersey. Other funding recipients included Greater Newark LISC, Urban League of Essex County, and Year Up New Jersey.

Jessica Zorola, Per Scholas Newark’s Managing Director, was interviewed by NJ Tech Weekly about Per Scholas’ participation in this grant program. “As a result of the investment from the Citizens Philanthropic Foundation, Per Scholas is going to be able to grow our alumni upskilling offerings for individuals here in Newark and the surrounding New York City metro area,” Jessica said. “People who have graduated from Per Scholas want the opportunity to move around in the tech industry, and to qualify to move up the ranks. If you think about careers in tech, they are constantly changing and evolving, so learners need to acquire more industry-recognized certifications, building a little bit more of that skill set to build careers over time.”

Jessica also emphasized the importance of grants like this in helping Per Scholas and other similarly-focused organizations promote equity in tech employment in New Jersey. In an industry that is predominantly white and male, it is important to increase opportunities for female and minority learners to thrive. “When I talk with our learners and alumni, I’m very open and honest about addressing the challenges of this lack of representation,” Jessica told NJ Tech Weekly. “You know, only 4 percent of technologists nationwide identify as women of color like myself.  So, when I have my learners in the classroom and hear their stories, it can feel very impactful and powerful because they are bringing in that representation that is missing in tech.”

Read the full news article here!

This month, Per Scholas Executive Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Culture Ken Walker moderated an innovative and important panel for the City & State NY 2023 Diversity Summit. The summit featured conversations and panels centered around diversity in New York with local government and business leaders.

The panel, Emerging DEI Practices in New York, highlighted ways  New York is working harder than ever to implement inclusive hiring practices and DEI frameworks to make sure that all environments are diverse. Panelists included Wendy Garcia, Deputy Commissioner, Equity and Inclusion, New York City Police Department; Sadye L. Campoamor, Chief Equity Officer, Office of NYC Comptroller Brad Lander; May Boucherak, Principal, KPMG; Larry Scott Blackmon, Vice President, Fresh Direct; and Kwame Cooper, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Fire Department Of New York. 

Check out the full list of speakers and panel discussions here!

Per Scholas is thrilled to announce that we have received Tenth Revolution’s Digital Revolution Award for Excellence in Learning and Development! The Digital Revolution Awards was founded in 2020 to applaud excellence across the global cloud tech ecosystem, and we are proud to join past recipients to drive excellence in learning and development in the tech industry.

We are honored to be among the recipients of the various categories for the Digital Revolution Awards and are grateful for our partnerships that encourage our growth and trainings’ development.

Read more about the awards and winners here!

Per Scholas is proud to announce a new partnership with Indeed for their new product, Skill Connect, to help job seekers without college degrees better promote their skills and completed training programs to potential employers.

“Skill Connect is a powerful tool, blazing the path for individuals to be evaluated based on their ability to excel with their skills, instead of relying on proxies for preparedness,” Per Scholas President and CEO Plinio Ayala reflected. “Per Scholas is proud to partner with Indeed on this innovative experience and looks forward to seeing positive impact among job seekers and companies alike.”

Read the full press release for this innovative tool here.

The battle between credentials and skills can be navigated through Indeed’s latest blog, which highlights overcoming barriers in the job application process.