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.

This month, Per Scholas’s AWS re/Start cohort launched in a new market in Seattle and also graduated more than 100 learners in multiple cities that are now ready to enter the tech industry with new, in-demand skills. Our graduation featured a keynote address from Amazon Web Services’ Principal Solutions Architect, Mojgan Ahmadi and celebrated our learners from our Chicago, National Capital Region (NCR), Cincinnati, New York, Newark, and Boston campuses. 

In her keynote address, Mojgan Ahmadi mentioned that in technology, there are so many opportunities, but with Per Scholas’ AWS re/Start training, our graduates are prepared for success. “Set a goal and work towards that. In technology, you have to continue to study and stay on top of your game,” Ahmadi reflected. “With this education that you have been given, you have all the tools in order to achieve success.” 

Shortly after our AWS re/Start graduation, we launched our inaugural cohort in Seattle, where Amazon has a location, including the Amazon Skills Center, where our learners are encouraged to study and advance their tech skills. Prior to the launch, Amazon hosted a kick-off event to introduce our learners to the Seattle Skills Center and encourage the use of any future classes. The event also featured a tour of the Skills Center and a time for our learners to network and become familiar with all Amazon Web Services has to offer. “Per Scholas is extremely proud of our partnership with AWS and we look forward to additional opportunities to help our learners build valuable cloud computing skills,” reflected Brian McRae, Per Scholas Seattle Site Director. “The recent event at the Skills Center has further ignited our learners’ passion and enthusiasm for the AWS re/start program.  It now feels real to them and I cannot wait to see them progress over these 15 weeks with their AWS Cloud Practitioner certifications in hand.”

The inaugural Seattle cohort had a full capacity of twenty learners eager to advance their careers in technology and will end in October. To learn more about our AWS re/Start cohorts and see our upcoming start dates and locations, click here! 

Per Scholas is thrilled to announce that we are part of the inaugural cohort of organizations to receive a grant from the Clayton Dubilier & Rice Foundation! We have been identified as one of Clayton Dubilier & Rice‘s Talent Solution Partners (“TSP”), aligning with the Foundation’s goal of supporting “Equity through Opportunity” by offering traditionally underrepresented talent in CD&R’s local communities access to job training, high-quality jobs, and ongoing professional development opportunities throughout their career journey.

This grant is awarded specifically to strengthen the equity, growth, skills, and workforce development systems in New York City. “Over the past 44 years, CD&R has built a reputation for driving positive impact and innovation throughout our portfolio and in our local communities,” said Don Gogel, Chairman of both CD&R and the CD&R Foundation. “The CD&R Foundation meaningfully expands these efforts, and we look forward to working with our TSPs to move the needle on inclusive employment and advancement practices.”

Click here to learn more about this inaugural partnership!

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.”

Per Scholas was featured in an article with Boardroom media network about the NFL’s Inspire Change grant renewals for 2022. Caitlyn Brazill, Per Scholas’s Chief Development Officer, commented on the impact the grant has on our organization, sharing, “We don’t want to be a best-kept secret, and our partnership with the NFL really helps to elevate the message of the works that we do to both potential learners and employers who are seeking diverse tech talent and are looking for partners to help them with hiring needs that they are increasingly desperate for.”

Per Scholas is one of 21 recipients of the grant funding from the NFL’s Inspire Change social justice initiative. To read the full article from Boardroom, click here!

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. 

On May 10th, Per Scholas partnered with LaunchCode, another tech education nonprofit, to hold a panel discussion about the future of building inclusive workplaces in Philadelphia. The event, “The Journey Ahead: Making Meaningful Change in the Diversity of Philadelphia Tech,” was held at the city’s University City Science Center, and was moderated by local DEIB strategist Alia Sutton-Bey.

Before the panel, attendees were welcomed and addressed by Phil Brooks, Workforce Development Director at the University City Science Center, Keighan Gunther, Assistant Vice President at LaunchCode, and Nikki Pumphrey, Managing Director at Per Scholas Philadelphia.

“At Per Scholas, we know that access to opportunity is not equal,” Nikki told the audience. “From the steadily increasing racial wealth gap in our city, to the ways in which the pandemic has affected women of color, significant challenges stand in our way for us to see and achieve an equitable and inclusive workforce here in our city. It’s not enough to just increase access. The real work starts when organizations make commitments that go beyond hiring; when they start implementing practices like pay equity, advancement, and culture change. That is why Per Scholas is committed to partnerships that advance opportunities for our graduates, who are the future of Philadelphia’s diverse tech workforce.”

The panel convened a diverse group of industry leaders in tech, human resources, and social services, including Ashley Chance, a Board Member with Blacks in Tech Philly and former Senior Diversity Talent Sourcer; Danita Jones, Director of HR at Family Practice and Counseling Network and President of the National Association of African Americans in HR; Janine Galen, Program Manager of Strategic Workforce Planning at Vanguard; Marcus Smith, STEM and CTE Coordinator at Mastery Charter Schools; and Senzwa Ntshepe, Co-Founder of both Edclusion and Elivade. 

Panelists discussed ways to promote opportunity for Philadelphia residents, create a more diverse and inclusive talent pipeline, support and promote Philadelphia’s economic development, and ultimately connect the community with companies to build inclusive workplaces, reimagine and transform business lines, and create a diverse workforce that addresses persistent intergenerational gaps in wealth and opportunity.

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!

As the saying goes, everything is bigger in Texas, including our footprint on tech training in the Dallas area. Since 2015, Per Scholas Dallas has prepared more than 1,200 individuals for a career in tech with our tuition-free tech training, with training tracks in IT Support, Cybersecurity, AWS re/Start, and Software Engineering. Our training equips learners not only with technical skills, but also the soft skills needed to secure a job and advance in the industry, through mock interviews, professional development, and resume writing training, as well as support and coaching from MSW-accredited Learner Support Managers and Financial Coaches.

Our expansion across the broader Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex has been made possible by our generous funding partner, The BlackRock Foundation, who has collaborated with Per Scholas Dallas to focus on extending beyond Dallas County. Dallas is one of the nation’s top tech hubs, but there’s a massive talent gap that’s leaving scores of tech jobs vacant. That’s where Per Scholas Dallas comes in – training hundreds of diverse technologists in the skills needed for today’s tech jobs and helping those skilled technologists launch high-growth careers in tech.

The BlackRock Foundation is contributing $5M over the next three years to help Per Scholas expand in six states, including Texas. A portion of the grant is dedicated to supporting our operations in Dallas, enabling Per Scholas to nearly double our impact in Dallas in 2022 compared to the prior year. The grant marks The BlackRock Foundation’s first major investment into job training in Texas.

The BlackRock Foundation’s support will enable Per Scholas to enroll nearly 800 additional learners into a variety of tech courses offered by our Dallas campus through 2023 and grow our footprint in North Texas by expanding remote training courses for individuals in neighboring counties. First up are Collin and Tarrant counties, where access to rigorous tech training is low, but local tech talent demand is high.

Such significant support from The BlackRock Foundation is enabling Per Scholas Dallas to continue preparing our learners for a successful career in technology. “Texas is a melting pot of diversity, multiculturalism, and more,” shared Ciara Owens, Sr. Manager of Recruitment and Admissions. “We’ve had much success connecting many learners across counties and thanks to committed funders like The BlackRock Foundation, we will continue to warmly welcome those from Tarrant County, Collin County, and other surrounding areas to be a part of a major movement in the industry of tech, and that movement starts here at Per Scholas Dallas.”

To learn more about Per Scholas Dallas’ upcoming training tracks, click here!

Per Scholas President and CEO Plinio Ayala has been named to the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program’s Task Force. This task force was formed to address Latino Digital Success across the country.  Plinio Ayala is sitting on the task force with key leaders from our Champion Partners, Google and JPMorgan Chase. One Co-chair includes Hector Mujica, Head of Economic Opportunity for the Americas at Google.org, and fellow task force member Parag Mehta, Managing Director & President at JPMorgan Chase.

In June, the task force will host a roundtable discussion on principles for Digital Success and strategies to inspire action by companies, workforce organizations, and elected officials to better support the Latino community.

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. To learn more about the digital success initiative with the task force, read the full press release here.