Bridging The Tech Talent Gap In Upper Manhattan Per Scholas and UMEZ Launch a Tech Initiative Creating Pathways to In-Demand Skills and Thriving-Wage Careers

New York, N.Y. (March 27, 2023) – The Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation (UMEZ) has awarded Per Scholas a $200,000 grant to launch the Technology Sector Employment Initiative in Upper Manhattan collaboratively. This initiative aims to increase economic mobility by bridging the technology skills gap for Upper Manhattan residents and strengthening the capacity of community partnerships to support the development of a local tech talent pipeline.

“With the launch of our Technology Sector Employment Initiative, we are creating an opportunity to advance tech inclusion and bridge tech talent gaps in Upper Manhattan,” said Blair M. Duncan, President & CEO of UMEZ.  “We are proud to partner with Per Scholas and our community partners to connect Upper Manhattan residents to thriving-wage careers in tech.”

Per Scholas will work with community partners through the UMEZ-sponsored Community Partner Tech Fund to identify and enroll at least 65 residents from all neighborhoods of the UMEZ catchment area, covering the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th Community Districts of Upper Manhattan, this year. Interested learners can apply for any course Per Scholas New York offers at its Bronx or Brooklyn campuses and its Satellite partner locations, including the Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center at First Avenue and 93rd Streets. 2023 courses offered by Per Scholas New York include IT Support, AWS re/Start, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, and Java Developer. 

“We are so proud to team up with UMEZ and incredible community partners in Upper Manhattan to continue to expand Per Scholas’ reach in our hometown,” said Debbie Roman, Per Scholas New York Managing Director. “Through our innovative Satellite Model, we were able to train New Yorkers from all 51 Districts last year, and now through this intentional partnership with UMEZ, our presence and impact will only continue to grow in Upper Manhattan.”

Interested Upper Manhattan learners can contact our collaborative network of community partners including Community Impact, Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC), and Urban Upbound to begin the screening and admissions process. If you are a community partner based in Upper Manhattan and interested in participating in the Technology Sector Employment Initiative, please contact Christina Xenos, Per Scholas Director of Strategic Partnerships, at cxenos@perscholas.org. 

Olger Twyner, Executive Director of Community Impact at Columbia University stated, “Community Impact is excited to join this important initiative, which will allow us to partner with UMEZ and Per Scholas to provide life enhancing opportunities to our adult education program participants, as well as other community residents who are upskilling and seeking employment.  The skills and training necessary to join the technology job force are critical. The Technology Sector Employment Initiative will provide those skills and open new opportunities to those who need them most.” 

Maria Lizardo, Executive Director of NMIC shared, “All individuals deserve equitable access to education, and that’s why we are so thrilled about our upcoming collaboration with Per Scholas, made possible by UMEZ. Through this partnership, NMIC will help recruit those who aspire to work in the technology workforce who otherwise might not have had access to the skills training and employer networks required for long-term employment. We know that through this partnership, future leaders of our community will be taught the skills to build fruitful careers in tech and secure prosperous futures.”

“As a leader in the fight to lift New Yorkers out of poverty, Urban Upbound is proud to partner with Per Scholas and UMEZ in creating new paths for Upper Manhattan residents to access the technology job market, a key sector with high-earning entry level jobs. We are committed to advancing our common goal of introducing more women and people of color to tech and bridge the skills gap,” said Bishop Mitchell Taylor, CEO and Co-Founder of Urban Upbound.

To learn more about Per Scholas New York and to view upcoming tech training opportunities, visit www.PerScholas.org/NewYork. 

About Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation

UMEZ is an independent not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to sustain the economic revitalization of all communities of Upper Manhattan through job creation, corporate alliances, strategic investments, and small business assistance.

UMEZ is part of a national Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) network that promotes economic growth by financing businesses, creating jobs, and rebuilding neighborhoods.

UMEZ facilitates economic development in Central, West, and East Harlem; Washington Heights; and Inwood neighborhoods.

About Per Scholas

For more than 25 years, Per Scholas has been advancing equity and increasing opportunity across America. Per Scholas unlocks potential for individuals, communities, and employers through rigorous training for careers in tech. Partnering with dynamic employer partners, from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups, we are building sustainable and diverse talent pipelines, together changing the face of tech. With national remote training and campuses in 20 cities and growing, Per Scholas offers tuition-free training in the most in-demand tech skills, including Cloud, Cybersecurity, Data Engineering, IT Support, Software Engineering, and more. To date, more than 20,000 individuals have gained the skills to launch high-growth tech careers, earning three times their pre-training wage. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging is our DNA, with 85 percent of learners are people of color, two in five are women, and more than half have a high school diploma as their highest education credential. Learn more by visiting PerScholas.org and following us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 

# # # 

Earlier this week, Per Scholas New York’s Bronx campus was featured in the Bronx Times. The article described how Per Scholas is addressing the digital divide in tech, and breaking down barriers to entry into the tech industry, such as gender disparities in the field and lack of accessibility. 

Per Scholas has taken great strides over the years to increase the number of women in tech. “While women make up just under 30% of the tech workforce, that gender gap is steadily closing in Per Scholas’ network where 41% of their learners were women last year,” the article stated. Per Scholas New York Managing Director, Debbie Roman, was quoted in the piece, describing the collaborative effort it takes to create a supportive environment for women in tech.

Another issue that Per Scholas is seeking to tackle is the digital divide that has disproportionately affected students of color in the Bronx, setting students in majority-Black schools up to a year behind their peers in majority-White schools. “Why is broadband sort of seen as an added luxury?” Debbie Roman said in the article. “Closing that digital divide is relevant to anyone being able to get out of poverty and be able to enter into meaningful work space.”

Read the full article here!

Olumuyiwa Kolayemi, an alumni of Per Scholas Greater Boston’s AWS re/Start course, was interviewed by Amazon Web Services about his experiences at and beyond his time at Per Scholas. The interview is featured on Amazon Web Services’ official YouTube channel.

“[The program] was a 4-month training,” Olumuyiwa recalled in the interview. “It was very intensive, but it was very encouraging. I felt very supported by the instructors and the other people in the program. 

Olumuyiwa, a native of Nigeria, graduated from Per Scholas’ AWS re/Start course in 2021, and has since returned to Per Scholas for an alumni cybersecurity upskilling course. 

Upon completing the AWS re/Start course, Olumuyiwa’s instructors helped him prepare for job interviews. He has since landed a job as a Platform Engineer at Slalom Build, where he works to this day.

Olumuyiwa is glad that he is now able to support his family, including his family members back in Nigeria. “I have been able to enjoy a lot of rapid progression in the two years since I started my tech journey,” Olumuyiwa said. “It has really changed my life.”

Watch Olumuyiwa’s interview here!

Leaders from Technology, Government, Private Equity, Nonprofit Contribute to Transform America’s Tech Workforce in the Southwest

PHOENIX (February 28, 2023) – Per Scholas Phoenix today announces the establishment of its inaugural Advisory Board. Leaders from technology, government, private equity, and the nonprofit sector will contribute their time and talent to supporting Per Scholas Phoenix and its mission to transform America’s technology workforce through rigorous tech skills training.

Inaugural Per Scholas Phoenix Advisory Board Members include:

• Anebi Agbo, Product Builder & Entrepreneur, Eikon Labs
• Rich Asay, Senior Operations Analyst, Global Services, Keyfactor
• Amber Braaten, IS Service Desk Controller, Master Electronics
• Shereka Jackson, Founder/CEO, Future Stars Inc
• Aaron Jones, Software Developer, City of Chandler
• Phillip Pipkins, Founding Partner, Prospeq, LP

“We are thrilled to have inspired leadership from our inaugural Per Scholas Phoenix Board members. Their creative vision will help us connect rigorously trained tech talent with quality job employers, changing the face of tech here in Arizona,” said Jaclyn Boyes, Per Scholas Phoenix Managing Director. 

Since opening in 2021, more than 100 learners have graduated from Per Scholas Phoenix and have gone onto employment in tech roles at a variety of companies across the city – from large financial service institutions to small startups. 

Per Scholas Phoenix is grateful for Founder’s Circle partners TEKsystems as well as generous support from Boeing, New World Foundation Quality Jobs Fund, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, and Wells Fargo.

 Currently, Per Scholas Phoenix offers a variety of tech training courses including Java Developer, IT Support, and more. To learn more, please visit www.PerScholas.org/Phoenix.

About Per Scholas

Per Scholas is a national organization that has been advancing economic mobility for more than 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 20 cities, Per Scholas has trained more than 20,000 individuals in tech skills, building bridges to careers in technology. To learn more, visit PerScholas.org and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Per Scholas is thrilled to share that we are a recipient of an inaugural grant from Apollo Global Management, Inc.‘s Apollo Opportunity Foundation as they work to advance their mission of expanding opportunity and supporting economic inclusion for underrepresented individuals. The grant will support the expansion of Per Scholas’ rigorous technical training and access to employer networks to close the tech skills divide, unlocking potential for 4,500 new learners and 2,500 alumni across more than 20 cities in 2023.

The grant will go beyond a financial contribution from the Apollo Opportunity Foundation. Over the next year Apollo employees will also support Per Scholas through ongoing engagement including volunteering, strategic advisory work, and providing broader exposure to the Apollo platform. 

“We are grateful for this grant from the Apollo Opportunity Foundation and the support Per Scholas will receive in addition to their generous philanthropic support,” said Per Scholas Chief Development Officer Caitlyn Brazill. “With Apollo’s engagement and investment in our mission, Per Scholas will continue unlocking potential in our learners for careers in technology through our tuition-free tech training coast to coast.”  

Read Apollo’s press release here.

Per Scholas Welcomes Two National Board Members

Bronx, N.Y. (February 23, 2023) – Per Scholas, one of the leading national organizations that focuses on advancing economic mobility in technology, today announces the appointment of two dynamic leaders to its National Board. 

New National Per Scholas Board Members include:

• Dirk Manelski, Chief Technology Officer, PIMCO

With more than 24 years of technology experience, Dirk currently serves as PIMCO’s Chief Technology Officer, responsible for overseeing technology and developing the firm’s IT strategy. 

“Having participated in the PIMCO Foundation and Per Scholas partnership over the past couple of years I have seen the incredible impact Per Scholas can have on individuals’ careers and lives,” said Dirk Manelski, Chief Technology Officer at PIMCO. “I am excited to be joining the board and looking forward to being a bigger part of the Per Scholas mission.”

• Indy Reddy, Chief Technology and Operations Officer, PGIM Investments

Indy currently serves as Chief Technology and Operations Officer for PGIM Investments, where he is responsible for all aspects of technology strategy and delivery and operations functions. More than 150 Prudential employees have participated in a variety of corporate engagement events with Per Scholas Newark including mock interviews, fireside chats, networking, and resume reviews.

“I am honored and excited to join the board of Per Scholas to help deliver on their mission to advance economic equity through rigorous training for tech careers and to connect skilled talent to leading businesses. This organization truly embodies the changing face of technology and I look forward to contributing to their growth and continued success,” said Indy Reddy.

“We are humbled to welcome two dynamic chief technology officers and know that Dirk and Indy will bring tremendous insight and knowledge to Per Scholas’ work,” said Plinio Ayala, President & CEO of Per Scholas. “Our National Board Members are tireless in their commitment and effort to advance economic opportunity and close America’s opportunity gap by unlocking potential and changing the face of tech.”

To learn more about Per Scholas’s work and our National Board, visit PerScholas.org. 

About Per Scholas

Per Scholas is a national organization that has been advancing economic mobility for more than 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 20 cities, Per Scholas has trained more than 20,000 individuals in tech skills, building bridges to careers in technology. To learn more, visit PerScholas.org and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

# # # 

Today, Per Scholas’ Executive Vice President of People, Montreece Smith, was featured in an article on the website of Take the Lead, a nonprofit organization that “prepares, develops, inspires, and propels women to take their fair and equal share of leadership positions across all sectors by 2025.”

In the article, Montreece, who began at Per Scholas as a volunteer in 2015, discusses the importance of Per Scholas’ mission to open doors to tech careers for persons of color. Despite a widespread, recent focus on DEIB in the workplace, people of color are still widely underrepresented in many STEM industries, including tech.

“According to a new report from McKinsey,” the article states, “‘Black people make up 12 percent of the U.S. workforce but only 8 percent of employees in tech jobs. That percentage is even smaller further up the corporate ladder; just 3 percent of technology executives in the C-suite are Black, according to a McKinsey analysis of Fortune 500 executives.’” This gap is expected to widen over the next decade, as is the wage gap for Black individuals in tech roles.

Per Scholas is actively working to alleviate this discrepancy by building a pipeline of diverse and talented workers, as well as fostering cultures of fairness and inclusion in workplaces. It is important, Montreece noted, for workplaces to address issues of diversity, not only in their recruitment practices, but also in the culture and climate of their workplaces. 

“There are many techniques employers need to think about to engage, retain and promote employees,” Montreece explained. “Corporations fail because they put forth effort in recruitment but do nothing about development. WOC and BIPOC are watching…[To POC]: Know your worth. Diversity does not mean less than. You are capable, you are worthy and you deserve an opportunity. ”

Read the full article here!

Recession Proofing Your Tech Talent Pipeline

As we reach the final day of the first month of 2023, there has been a lot to unpack with the state of the economy, the labor market, and the future of work. While it may seem like things aren’t looking up for America’s economy despite many recent layoffs, there are still more than 246,000 tech jobs expected to be available in 2023 and massive opportunity for return on talent  investments. 

Despite the fact that the majority of these layoffs are coming from tech companies, the need to fill tech jobs remains strong for all industries. Whether in finance, real estate, automotive, professional services, healthcare, or other industries, you will still find an abundance of tech roles available within those sectors. With thousands of technologists recently laid off, employers from different industries are eager to hire and train workers for their open IT roles.  

Layoffs are happening, but there are still jobs available. 

In recent news, Microsoft laid off 10,000 of their employees, joining Meta, Amazon, Google, Cisco, and other large tech companies announcing major layoffs, which begs the question of how companies can retain employees and maintain ROI throughout the year. However, with the tech industry, there are still hundreds of thousands of jobs available with fewer job seekers with the required experience and skills. With so many jobs anticipated in the tech industry, how can employers future-proof tech jobs? Another challenge that C-Suite decision makers are dealing with is having to be more tactical and focused around cost-effective talent acquisition strategies. 

Our best advice is to look inward at upskilling and reskilling your current workforce, and then build out a customized pipeline for new tech talent so you can narrow the scope and really dig deep with experienced talent development partners. 

Fortunately, Per Scholas is able to do both!

There are many benefits to reskilling and upskilling your current workforce. When you upskill your talent, you are investing in your team, which boosts employee morale, increases production, and is more cost-effective than laying off and hiring new talent. Through Per Scholas’s tech training courses in IT Support, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, and other customized training tracks, we are providing enterprise solutions to grow and diversify your talent pool. The key is to stop buying talent and start building it. 

The need for skilled tech talent remains despite a looming recession.

In addition to employee layoffs, we’ve heard more about an impending recession. This month, two out of three economists predicted a recession this year, alarming corporations and the country as a whole. As we look to our 2023 forecasting, it isn’t all doom and gloom. How can your organization survive a recession and prosper? Diversifying your tech workforce is one important way to start. There is lots of research underscoring diverse workforce improves companies’ bottom line because of the different backgrounds, the dynamic ideas that are developed and the sheer superior talent that exist in this talent pool. It is proven that there is enormous business benefit for companies that  invest in a sustainable, diverse talent pipeline that is skilled and has hands-on training. 

As I stressed earlier, while there may be a pending recession looming and many big-hitter tech companies are laying off employees, hundreds of thousands of tech roles still remain unfilled. The key to staying ahead is filling your talent pipeline with skilled technologists with hands-on training, in-demand skills, and diverse backgrounds. 

Active DEI Programs future-proof the culture and productivity of companies.

When it comes to future-proofing your company, looking inward at your active DEI initiatives can ensure your success throughout a recession. TEKsystems’ recent DEI research showed that 86% of IT decision makers believe DEI programs have made their culture more inclusive, which aids business’s overall ROI and morale. Simply put, employees with a good outlook on the company they work for will do better work; and if the workforce is diverse, then there will be more productivity, greater ROI, and greater span of ideas for growth and development.

Additionally, 74% of IT decision makers agreed that DEI has increased their team’s productivity. The catch is putting ideas and programs into action in order to future-proof your business. Creating systemic changes throughout your organization will ensure happy, productive, and diverse team members that will help your overall bottom line. 

The future of the economy may be unknown or headed toward a recession, but that does not mean a downfall for your company. Now is the time to stop buying talent and start building it. Let Per Scholas help you focus on the development and upskilling of your current team so you can build the talent you need to succeed and put action into DEI programs to support your company’s bottom line and return on investment.

Our 2022 annual fundraising campaign, Unlocking Potential: Changing the Face of Tech has come to a close. We set a goal to raise $1 million for our Career Access Fund, which we exceeded! This fund helps cover the costs of supplies and resources for 4,500 learners in 2023. Thanks to the incredible support from our donors and the Per Scholas community, we raised $1,051,868. Our generous match fund from Raz & Hana Tirosh, Abigail & Adam Winkel, the Zgaljic Family, Liquid Technology, and an anonymous donor matched up to $1 million. We are thrilled to announce that we raised $2,051,868 in total!

Per Scholas is committed to advancing economic equity by creating opportunities for individuals who aspire to work in tech but may not have had the access to pursue their dream. With the proceeds from this campaign, we will now be able to support more learners in the coming year as they launch life-changing careers in tech, starting with more than 35 cohorts in session across the country now. To stay informed of our work and the success of our learners, make sure to sign up for our Monthly Impact Report and connect with us on LinkedIn.

In the coming year, Per Scholas aims to train 4,500 learners and alumni to have the skills and connections needed to advance their careers in tech. There is a high demand for trained individuals in tech, and with our hands-on, innovative curriculum, Per Scholas graduates will continue to create a more equitable tech workforce. 

Per Scholas is thrilled to announce that we are the recipient of a $6 million “Funding Growth Through Innovation” grant from Ascendium Education Group. The grant was awarded to support three key areas of innovation: Equity Partnerships, our Center for Instructional Excellence, and Recruiting and Admissions. The funding will aid Per Scholas in increased learner capacity to achieve our goal of diversifying the tech industry with our skilled graduates.

“I am grateful for such substantial and innovative funding from Ascendium. With the Funding Growth Through Innovation grant, Per Scholas will continue to grow and train thousands of learners in the next few years,” said Per Scholas President and CEO Plinio Ayala. “We have an innovative approach to expanding our training across the country, and that starts with our Instructional staff and holistic training. Thanks to Ascendium, I am confident in the future of our tech skills training and creating workforce equity in tech.”

With the support of the Ascendium Education Group, Per Scholas will launch satellite and in-person collaborations with local community partners, increasing reach and dramatically reducing costs. 

Per Scholas will also launch the Center for Instructional Excellence to recruit, train and upskill Per Scholas faculty. The impact of our Center for Instructional Excellence is already being realized, following the launch of our Instructor Academy, which is training the next generation of diverse Per Scholas faculty from among our own graduates and upskilling existing instructional talent. The Academy curriculum includes a 10-week practicum for teaching fellows to upskill their tech knowledge, observe current classes, and be mentored by seasoned instructors. Currently, 25 percent of the fellows from the inaugural training are offering support in current courses already teaching, well ahead of schedule. One fellow will even serve as lead instructor for a week. All of the teaching fellows will be assigned lead instructor roles after they complete the training and as teaching roles open.   

Ascendium Education Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to helping people reach the education and career goals that matter to them. Ascendium invests in initiatives designed to increase the number of students from low-income backgrounds who complete postsecondary degrees, certificates and workforce training programs, with an emphasis on first-generation students, incarcerated adults, rural community members, students of color and veterans. Ascendium’s work identifies, validates and expands best practices to promote large-scale change at the institutional, system and state levels, with the intention of elevating opportunity for all. For more information, visit https://www.ascendiumphilanthropy.org.