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.”

Per Scholas is thrilled to reflect on this month’s expansion to our 18th city, St. Louis! This marks our first campus launch in 2022. We are honored and grateful to Cortex Innovation Community for their warm welcome as part of their strategy to accelerate inclusive economic growth in the region.

We were excited to participate at The Global Center for Cybersecurity’s MiniCon and host a welcome breakfast for community and industry leaders and partners with Cortex. The reception and welcome by Cortex, community partners, and local media has been overwhelmingly positive, including feature pieces by St. Louis Business Journal, St. Louis National Public Radio, Flyover Future, and first-day coverage in The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 

Per Scholas St. Louis will host its inaugural cohort in Cybersecurity this summer in response to the need for Cybersecurity technologists in the community. According to CompTIA’s April jobs report, St. Louis ranked seventh in the nation for the most new tech job postings. And after talking with local employers and partners, the need for cybersecurity skills is at the forefront. 

Per Scholas St. Louis is led by Managing Director Dr. Charlie Mackey, Jr. Upon his hiring, Charlie reflected, “I am honored to join Per Scholas and lead our transformational work here in St. Louis. I believe our training removes two of the largest barriers for members of our local community who aspire to work in technology: access and affordability. By removing these barriers, Per Scholas learners and our future St. Louis graduates can achieve social and economic mobility.” 

“Our partnership with Cortex – and being located in this incredible District – will propel our ability to interact with the local tech community and employers in need of tech talent,” he continued. 

At the Global Center for Cybersecurity MiniCon, Per Scholas Graduate Elena Bilko participated on a panel discussing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Cybersecurity, with fellow tech training graduates from CyberUp and NPower St. Louis. Elena, a New York Cybersecurity graduate from late 2020 shared her story about being a successful career-switcher from the fashion to the tech industry and highlighted that without Per Scholas, she would not have been able to break into the field.  Elena also shared her commitment to helping spread the word about the power and impact of programs like Per Scholas.  

As we continue to grow based on market demands, the Per Scholas St. Louis team will grow as well. We are currently recruiting for several St.Louis-based roles as we continue to settle into the Gateway to the West. 

Per Scholas became the first organization to sign the Vibrant Pittsburgh DEI Pledge. Signatory organizations commit to taking collective action to create a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable Pittsburgh region.

“Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging is at Per Scholas’s core. We believe that talent is ubiquitous, but unfortunately, we know opportunity is not. That’s why we’re passionately committed to removing barriers, increasing access, and advancing economic equity through rigorous tech training,” said Plinio Ayala, President and CEO of Per Scholas. “We’re proud to be a signatory of the Vibrant Pittsburgh DEI Pledge and look forward to being a meaningful contributor to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging progress here in Pittsburgh.” 

Per Scholas Pittsburgh Managing Director Todd Derby will lead our contributions to this essential work. To learn more about Vibrant Pittsburgh, visit www.vibrantpittsburgh.org. 

April is Celebrate Diversity Month! In addition to celebrating the many accomplishments of our diverse co-workers and learners, it is also a good opportunity to reflect on the state of diversity in the tech world, and what can be done to improve it. Recent years have seen a rise in companies putting more emphasis on the promotion of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) within their workplaces – an important movement in all industries and particularly so in tech, a historically white, male-dominated field.

Per Scholas is dedicated to creating a tech workforce as diverse and varied as the communities it serves, and we recognize that there is still a great deal of work to be done in the tech industry in order to reduce discrimination, bolster opportunity, and promote DEIB within the field. According to technology career platform Dice’s 2021 annual Equality in Tech report, there are several areas in which the tech industry as a whole still needs to see great improvement in order to become more functionally diverse and inclusive.

The Dice report, which surveyed thousands of technologists in the United States over the course of several months, reported that perceptions of discrimination in the workplace have actually increased, for both female and Black tech workers, from the previous year’s report. Lack of leadership opportunities, as well as salary and benefit inequities, were common complaints amongst Black and female workers, who comprise only 7% and 28% of the tech industry, respectively.

All minority groups included in Dice’s report indicated that it was important to them for their work to prove commitment to policies and practices promoting DEIB. It is indeed vital for employees of any organization to feel seen, heard, and respected at their place of work. Not only is it beneficial for the individual employees themselves, but it is helpful to the organization as a whole: happy employees are more likely to feel comfortable bringing their ideas to the table and are also more likely to remain with their current employers.

Creating pathways for more diverse talent to get involved in tech is the first step in building a diverse workforce. Most recently, Per Scholas launched a women-only cohort at our National Capital Region campus and the Tech Women of Color Alliance at Per Scholas Columbus, both designed to introduce more diverse tech talent into the industry. Our New York campuses have also adopted a Satellite Model training approach, designed to reach more people amongst the city’s diverse communities. Recognizing that age and disability status can also be significant barriers to entry in the tech field, Per Scholas courses have no age limits, and we regularly encourage differently-abled learners, as well as learners of all ages to apply.

How Tech Companies Can Build A Diverse Workforce

There are many ways in which technology companies can work to create a more diverse workforce. Most importantly, companies must realize that, while talent is ubiquitous, opportunity and access to specified and higher education is not. Many factors, including our country’s digital divide, racial wage gaps, the pandemic’s disproportionate effect on female employment, poverty, systemic inequalities, and even the perception of the tech field as being predominantly white and male, are all barriers to entry for potentially talented individuals seeking to become involved in tech.

Historically, a typical hiring practice in many companies – in and beyond the tech field – would be to filter applicants by only recruiting those with at least a four-year college degree. However, this custom overlooks many talented and qualified individuals who, for various reasons, often beyond their control, have not had the opportunity to earn such a degree. In recent years, a number of companies across the country have pledged to change their hiring practices, offering higher-wage career opportunities to people without four-year college degrees. Participating companies may look to hire applicants from training programs and boot camps, or may adopt the “train to hire” model, which invites potential candidates to come and learn how to do the specific work that the company is hiring for.

“Creating opportunities for prospective team members to participate in bespoke training programs specific to the roles they are seeking is a revolutionary way to treat entry-level candidates as future leaders,” Per Scholas’ Chief Enterprise Solutions Officer, Damien Howard, wrote in a recent article . “A traditional job posting and interview process instead become a true gateway to professional growth and possibility… incredible tech talent can be readily found by rethinking the traditional requirements and by welcoming candidates to gain new skills and then, once qualified, secure and grow a lasting career in technology.”

Incidentally, employees who participate in the “train to hire” model are much more likely to remain with their respective organizations, reducing the turnover rate and increasing employee engagement. With this in mind, as well as general courses, Per Scholas offers customized training tracks, working closely with our employer partners to design job-specific courses that train learners for successful careers in needed areas. Per Scholas also offers upskilling and reskilling courses to help businesses give their employees new or enhanced technology skills.

Another way for tech companies to promote their workforce diversity is to develop their talent pools from the inside out, by offering upskilling and specified training programs designed to create representation, as well as opportunities for those who may have otherwise been overlooked. Tech is a fast-growing, constantly evolving field. By upskilling existing employees or groups of employees in needed areas, a tech company benefits itself by staying up-to-date and responsive to tech and market trends and benefits its employees by increasing their skillsets, experience, and earning potential. This practice also provides pathways to success for employees of all backgrounds and skill levels.

Finally, beyond hiring and training, it is important for a workplace to support and facilitate the growth and development of its budding tech talent by providing mentorship opportunities. Mentorships can help fresh learners make connections, grow their skills, gain confidence, and ultimately pave the way for growth and success in their respective career paths. If done right, this can have the effect of increasing productivity and work quality, while also boosting minority inclusion and representation in the workplace.

How Per Scholas Increases Diversity for Employers

Studies have shown that organizations ranking high in internal ethnic, age, gender, and cultural diversity regularly and significantly outperform their industry peers in terms of financial returns and employee satisfaction. “More diverse companies, we believe, are better able to win top talent and improve their customer orientation, employee satisfaction, and decision making, and all that leads to a virtuous cycle of increasing return,” a recent McKinsey report stated. The business case for diversity is strong, as is the social one. It is now up to companies to put in the work to improve the diversity of their workforces, and Per Scholas is happy to help along the way.

Since its launch in 2016, Per Scholas’ Diverse by Design initiative works with employers to open a solutions-driven conversation about DEIB in tech. Initially launched as a conversation series, Diverse by Design strives to create “a space where leaders in tech and workforce development [can] come together to discuss and share best practices to attract, retain and develop skilled black and brown tech professionals.” Diverse by Design events regularly gather hundreds of attendees in cities all across the country. The initiative is led by a National Advisory Board composed of members from a wide variety of tech-adjacent organizations.

Through thoughtful, focused discussion and personalized input from DEIB experts, Diverse by Design seeks to enable C-suite leaders to make valuable and socially impactful business decisions. Diverse by Design also provides organizations with access to customized training tracks and talent sourcing solutions that allow a company to meet their own talent demands while simultaneously transforming the diversity landscape within their company.

Ignite a Passion for Tech with Diverse Learners

Per Scholas is committed to preparing individuals typically underrepresented in the tech industry for successful careers in tech. An important part of this process, beyond simply preparing learners to launch their careers, is showing people from various minority-in-tech backgrounds that success is possible for them in the tech field, and opening pathways for them to succeed. Per Scholas learners of various ages, gender identities, races, ethnicities, physical abilities, and backgrounds have been able to find success through Per Scholas courses and subsequently launching tech careers. No one should be barred from pursuing a career in tech due to a lack of connection, and the success of our learners serves to encourage others to apply, breaking down barriers to entry in tech.

Many of our female learners expressed an initial hesitation in entering such a historically male-dominated field, prior to taking Per Scholas courses. However, our courses, which typically possess a high percentage of female learners, quickly break down preconceived stereotypes and show women that they can be heard, respected, and successful in tech. Per Scholas Newark learner Dekontee Milfort reflected that she saw the tech industry as one for men, that the men in her family worked in tech, but not any women. “I felt like the IT world was mostly for guys. A lot of the guys in my family – that was the job they were doing. It was a heavily-male role. A friend of mine talked to me about Per Scholas and their diverse graduates, and after looking on the website at all of the graduates, I knew this was the training for me.” 

More seasoned technologists also face discrimination in the tech industry, primarily due to ageism. Many believe that tech is a “young person’s field,” and that older individuals cannot be successful in IT. This is, of course, a totally false assumption and, with the proper training, upskilling, and guidance, those individuals can be just as successful as their younger counterparts. This is proven true over and over by our many brilliant mature learners, who achieve great things both in and beyond our courses. Antwan Grant, who graduated from Per Scholas Atlanta’s Software Engineering course in 2021, had initially begun her tech career in 2000. She had not been able to upskill since then and had been stuck doing back-end work that she did not enjoy. “Being in the IT world for as long as I have been, you can get stuck,” Antwan, who worried that her age would keep her from advancing in tech, reflected. “Fast-forward 3 months and I have graduated from Per Scholas! I felt so accomplished with everything I was able to figure out – I know now that I can do this! With my old skill set, no one would hire me. Since graduating from Per Scholas, I have had people contact me for jobs right here in Atlanta.”

I am very grateful; not only for the opportunities that Per Scholas has presented to me but for the opportunities that they provide to people in communities that don’t have the same opportunities that other communities have. — Moja Chatman, Per Scholas New York Graduate

Our learners are all talented and driven individuals, many of them simply lacked prior opportunities to become involved in tech. Moja Chatman, a recent graduate of our Bronx AWS/reStart course, is a born and raised New Yorker. He was always interested in tech but never had the opportunity to pursue it professionally until he came across Per Scholas. Moja landed a job shortly after graduating and is thankful for the doors his training was able to open for him, and others like him. “I am very grateful, not only for the opportunities that Per Scholas has presented to me but for the opportunities that they provide to people in communities that don’t have the same opportunities that other communities have,” Moja reflected. 

Ultimately, the promotion of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the tech workplace begins with opportunity and intentionality. The IT field still has a long way to go in order to become a totally diverse and inclusive community, but it is certainly headed in the right direction. Per Scholas is committed to being a driver of this change, transforming the face of technology by opening pathways of opportunity for diverse talent and helping other organizations to do the same. As a champion of diversity, DEIB is in our DNA. 

Per Scholas St. Louis is offering cost-free tech training to the St. Louis community in response to the many open tech jobs in the city.  This campus launched at the beginning of April with the first Cybersecurity cohort to begin in June.  Flyover Future featured an interview with Per Scholas St. Louis Managing Director Dr. Charlie Mackey, Jr., and Vice President of Communications Sara Luciano to learn more about Per Scholas.

On our expansion to St. Louis, Dr. Mackey mentioned, “One of the things we looked at was CompTIA’s April jobs report. St. Louis ranked seventh in the nation for the most new tech job postings. And after talking with some local employers and partners, cybersecurity seemed to be on the forefront. So that helped the decision to make our first cohort there around cybersecurity. Also, the alignment made sense because the Global Center for Cybersecurity is also located at Cortex Innovation Community.”

To learn more about our expansion to St. Louis and read the full feature, click here.

Per Scholas St. Louis was featured in St. Louis Public Radio for our partnership with Cortex Innovation Community. With this partnership, we will offer a free, 15-week cybersecurity training for people of color and women interested in tech careers.

Dr. Charlie Mackey Jr. is the Managing Director of Per Scholas and hopes to bring more underrepresented individuals to the tech industry through this partnership and training. “Historically, underrepresented people aren’t working in the tech fields, because they’re like, ‘Well, I have to go to the West Coast, or it’s not available here,’” Mackey said. “By coming here, we can not only help bridge that gap, but also reframe it to where you can get that technology training right here, and then find a job here.”

With our expansion to St. Louis, we are able to offer our tuition-free, rigorous technical training as the latest addition to Cortex. Per Scholas has advanced economic equity for more than 25 years by offering evidence-based, tuition-free technology training and connecting Per Scholas graduates to high-growth careers in technology. Aligned with its commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, 85 percent of Per Scholas learners are people of color, and more than a third identify as women. Graduates are hired into tech roles by more than 650 employer partners nationwide, ranging from Fortune 500 to innovative startups.

Check out the full feature on the St. Louis NPR site here.

The Columbus Dispatch featured Per Scholas in an article featuring our Tech Women of Color workforce initiative.  This initiative is supported by a $4.5 million grant that was unanimously approved by the Franklin County Board of Commissioners on International Women’s Day. The free, 15-week course will kick off in July and aims to train 200 women of color in cohorts over the next two years.

“We are grateful to the Franklin County Board of Commissioners for providing us the opportunity to be of service to our community, and to our local partners who will come alongside us as we seek to make a transformative impact in this county,” stated Jenn Fowler Howard, Senior Director of the Tech Women of Color Alliance. “We recognize that this project will not only change the lives of the women who participate but will also build stronger families, communities, and businesses for years to come.”

This workforce initiative is part of Per Scholas’s ongoing goal to promote the presence of women in tech.

Read the full article from The Columbus Dispatch here!

It is discouraging that there are far fewer women involved in IT and tech-related fields than there are men. The latest study by the AnitaB.org Institute found that women make up just 28.8 percent of the tech workforce. Tech, like other STEM fields, has historically had a reputation of being “for the boys,” and women face many barriers to entry, including workplace discrimination, unequal pay, and a lack of female tech role models to inspire them. Plus, the pandemic continues to negatively impact women in the workforce, and women of color in particular. Thus, even well-qualified women may be discouraged from entering the field — a detriment not only to those women but to technology as a whole.

Why It Matters & What Can Be Done to Fix Gender Inequity in Tech

Per Scholas is committed to changing the narrative for women in tech. By encouraging and providing opportunities to women learners, Per Scholas is working toward greater gender equity in the tech industry.

To encourage women’s involvement in tech, women need to know that success is possible for them in the field, and to see other women thriving in tech positions. “Success in the field is not based on just intellect; it’s based on exposure,” said Carla Davis, a 2020 graduate of Per Scholas Boston’s AWS re/Start course. “Hopefully, I can be some kind of example for others, but it was extremely difficult to get my foot in the door. The instructors and courses at Per Scholas showed me that if I worked hard, it is possible to get the certifications and get the jobs.” 

Why Women Thrive in Tech

There is an aspect of support and flexibility that empowers women in the workforce to succeed and do well in their roles. Women are usually caretakers of their household, mothers, and chief operating officers of their homes, which calls for support from their employers in ways beyond financial support.  We know that when women have flexible hours, remote work location flexibility, support for caregiving and child care, they are able to provide for themselves and their families and better focus on their careers and training at Per Scholas. 

Per Scholas Scholarships & Grants for Women in Tech/IT

With generous support from partners, Per Scholas has been able to make real progress in improving the gender balance of our learners. Per Scholas has enrolled more than 1,800 women learners since the start of the pandemic in 2020, and it’s a number that only continues to grow.

Last fall, Per Scholas was selected as one of five recipients for the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations grant, presented by U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty J. Walsh. “For too long, women have faced barriers to gaining entry into apprenticeships and nontraditional careers,” Secretary Walsh said at the grant presentation. “As we work to build back a better economy, these grants will empower women to get the training and support they need to secure good-paying jobs and pathways into the middle class. They are an important and effective tool for creating a more inclusive and equitable workforce.”

Women in Software Engineering (WISE) Apprenticeship

As a result of this grant, Per Scholas has launched a new Women in Software Engineering (WISE) Pre-Apprenticeship training track from our National Capital Region (NCR) Campus in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. With additional support from Capital One, The Boeing Company, and Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, our first pilot cohort is launching this month. “We have the opportunity to learn so much from our WISE learners,” said Diane Duff, Per Scholas National Capital Region Managing Director. “We’ve received generous support to adjust our already proven model to more effectively address the unique challenges facing women who want to enter the tech industry.”

It is incredibly powerful to see our efforts pay off. In 2021, more than 35% of Per Scholas learners identify as women, an increase from the previous year. “I have noticed that there are a lot fewer women in tech than there are men,” said Soma Majumder, a 2021 graduate of Per Scholas New York’s IT Support cohort. “But from my experience, I didn’t feel that there was any barrier when I entered the tech industry; I think a lot of that had to do with Per Scholas and how adamant they were in getting us placed in jobs. I think that I was really lucky to have my career coach and the business solutions team there because they really pushed for me and were really active in helping me get a job.”

COVID-19 Recovery for Women in Tech

This International Women’s Day, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners in Columbus, Ohio, committed to developing the county workforce to meet a growing demand for technology jobs by voting unanimously to approve a more than $4.5 million COVID-19 recovery grant to support the new Tech Women of Color workforce training initiative at our Per Scholas Columbus campus. 

“We are grateful to the Franklin County Board of Commissioners for providing us the opportunity to be of service to our community, and to our local partners who will come alongside us as we seek to make a transformative impact in this county,” stated Jenn Fowler Howard, senior director of the Tech Women of Color Alliance at Per Scholas.  “We recognize that this project will not only change the lives of the women who participate but will also build stronger families, communities, and businesses for years to come.” 

Looking to The Future: More Women Learners

We are excited to see the heights our women learners will reach in the coming years as we continue to strive to achieve a more gender-balanced tech workforce. Women can succeed in tech, and we are committed to providing the tools and opportunities for more and more of them to do so. 

“I gained so much from my experience with Per Scholas,” Per Scholas Philadelphia alumna Susan Tabassum reflected on her experience in the program. “It reinforced the knowledge I already had in technology, I gained a lot of new skills, and, most importantly, it gave me the confidence to pursue a career in technology, which is what I’ve always wanted.”