Another year of growth is on the horizon for Per Scholas!  November 29 marks the day applications open up for our upcoming training tracks with plenty of new additions and a larger reach for our cost-free training.  In 2022, expect to see expanded offerings of our most popular courses on more campuses.

In 2022, Per Scholas will offer our AWS re/Start, Cybersecurity, and Software Engineering curriculum in more locations than ever before as we enroll more technologists in our cost-free training and continue to diversify the tech industry.  In our Dallas market, the new year will bring in more learners as we expand to train learners in Collin and Tarrant counties.  Our Per Scholas Charlotte campus is extending out to become Per Scholas North Carolina with a partnership with Wilkes Community College.  We will train 1,000 New Yorkers through 2022 throughout the five boroughs since we launched our satellite model in Staten Island and Queens.  Additionally, you can expect to see a cohort launched in our National Capital Region (NCR) campus that is designed to support women learners.  This cohort will feature 15 spots for female technologists to pursue a career in technology and launch in February 2022. Our Per Scholas NCR Managing Director Diane Duff spoke with Michaela Althouse at Technical.ly DC to discuss the cohort and how Per Scholas will advance women in technology with this training.  “A thriving wage is critical to being able to participate in the workforce,” Duff said. “I mean, particularly for women, if you are not making enough money to support your household, what are we talking about?” 

Stay tuned to learn more about the launch dates and locations of all of our cohorts and our admissions process by visiting our website.  Reach out to info@perscholas.org with any questions on our upcoming training as we train more learners than ever before in 2022!

This month, Per Scholas Newark returned to campus for the first time since the pandemic hit, in a hybrid model that includes both in-person and remote learning.  Prudential has been present throughout our remote training, including welcoming our learners back to in-person training on our first day back.  Prudential’s VP of Design and Development Solutions, David Heafitz, arrived for our hybrid model launch on November 15 to welcome our learners and instructors back and provide thought leadership as a partner.  “There is a camaraderie and spark that ignites learning in an in-person setting,” Heafitz reflected.  “I am thrilled to take part in the re-launch of in-person training at Per Scholas Newark and see the impact hands-on training will have on these learners.”

Per Scholas Newark is one of the first campuses to transition back to in-person training in over eighteen months in a hybrid model that offers remote learning as well.  For our IT Support Instructor, King Oquendo, there is a lot of excitement and hope for upcoming cohorts as we return to campus.  “Being back in a hybrid class is a great step back into normalcy. Learners will get back to hands-on training while at the same time learning to work as a team via the class video conference room/breakout rooms,” noted Oquendo.  “As we enter a new world where remote work is more essential than ever before, we here at Per Scholas are adapting with the real world, training and providing the foundation for a successful IT career.”

Since the start of our partnership in 2018, more than 100 Prudential employees have generously contributed their time to inspire and guide our learners on their tech career journeys through events including mock interviews, fireside chats, and resume reviews. Throughout the pandemic, Prudential’s employees have continued to support our learners through virtual volunteering events. One of our local Per Scholas Newark advisory board members, Min Zhang, is the Database Administration Director at Prudential and has been very involved in our Per Scholas Newark campus.  

Prudential is a Founding Partner of Per Scholas Newark and has provided critical support to launch and sustain Newark since 2018. Since our first cohort in 2019, Per Scholas Newark has trained 221 learners. We are grateful for our ongoing partnership between Prudential and Per Scholas Newark, where the most recent investment will provide support to more than 500 learners through 2023, enrolling 528 learners in training tracks including cloud data management, software engineering, network support, and cybersecurity as a way to meet local employer needs. 

Starting in February 2022, Per Scholas will launch a women-only cohort in our National Capital Region campus.  This will be the first women-only cohort since our start over 25 years ago and is a testament to our plans to diversify the tech industry.  Per Scholas NCR Managing Director, Diane Duff, mentioned, “this training is designed with women in mind, and with the goal of understanding the barriers women face entering the industry.”

With the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations grant, Per Scholas has to opportunity to offer this program to bolster women in the tech workforce.  The training will be completely remote, hold 15 spots, and held from 9:30 am – 2:30 pm with additional tutoring and professional development hours available on the weekends.  If you or someone you know are interested in this women-only training, applications open on November 29.

 Per Scholas is excited for this opportunity to raise the percentage of women in tech from beyond 30% female.  Click here to learn more about the cohort and the effect it will have on women in tech with our feature in Technical.ly DC.

In October, our President and CEO Plinio Ayala spoke at two events about Per Scholas’ impact in Latinx communities and creating equity in communities traditionally underrepresented in tech for Capital One and Workday.  Both Capital One and Workday are partners helping Per Scholas to provide tuition-free tech training for our learners.  

At Capital One’s Reimagine Communities Summit, Plinio participated on a panel to discuss advancing workforce equity in your community, highlighting the need to evolve our training models to meet the change in the workforce. “As we approach the next several years, we will use remote (or variations of remote) training to reach more people.  Using remote training, we will get to 10,000 learners per year by 2025, in more markets,” Plinio stated.  “Once our learners start establishing these amazing tech careers, they are able to pivot as technology changes and they upskill themselves to remain relevant to build these extraordinary careers over time.  We just need to get them into these jobs, and our program is allowing them to get the skills needed to do that.” You can watch the on-demand recording of Plinio’s remarks at the Capital One Reimagine Communities Summit here. 

Following the end of Hispanic Heritage Month, Plinio took part in a fireside chat hosted by Workday’s Latinx Employee Belonging Council.  Plinio discussed his background, growing up in the Bronx as a Latino in a time when the borough was missing entire pockets of its community: people had left, buildings were abandoned, poverty was pervasive, and yet there was a sense of family, creativity, talent, and a desire from himself and family and friends that they wanted something more from life. “I think that the biggest reason that what we do at Per Scholas is important is that we are changing the rules of the game, which is essential if we are going to increase the representation of people of color in the tech industry,” he reflected.  Plinio also talked about the importance of mentoring and providing networks, especially to people of color who are trying to enter the tech field. Plinio then referenced the story of a Per Scholas graduate, Veronica Vergara, and how her role as a Latina technologist has been groundbreaking for her family and provided insight as to what individuals in the Latinx community can do to get ahead in the tech industry.   

Plinio was excited to speak with Workday, as they have been a thought partner for Per Scholas and invested in our learners and company through multiple volunteer events throughout the year. In October alone, Workday hosted an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session with software engineers for our software engineering cohort through our remote training, and continues to be a valued partner, providing industry insight for our learners.  

Per Scholas is dedicated to connecting our learners with tuition-free tech training designed to launch them into thriving tech careers. Upon completion of training, our graduates are often able to take on roles that allow them to earn a higher income than in their previous employment, as well as access new financial opportunities. Per Scholas is unique because we not only provide tech training to our learners, but we also offer them the services of financial coaches to help with financial planning and wealth management. We tapped into the expertise of our financial planners to obtain their top five tips for financial planning.  

As part of our Learner Support Team, Per Scholas’s financial coaches are available to guide our learners and provide advice on all manner of finance-related matters, from saving money to budgeting and more. Our financial coaches are dedicated to helping our learners navigate their individual financial situations, as well as setting our learners up for future success in taking their financial planning to the next level.

1. Consider Your Financial Needs

Financial planning is not a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all approach. To start budgeting and saving money, you need to consider what is important to you and why. Beyond basic necessities, each person will have their own things that are important to them to allocate money for. Furthermore, depending on factors such as where a person lives, the size of their family, etc., even planning for necessities will vary by situation. A financial plan that works excellently for one individual may not be applicable at all to another person. 

It is necessary to remain open to new ideas when considering your own financial needs. This will allow you to make better plans and decisions about managing your finances. It is also important to understand that you may need to make some difficult financial decisions and sacrifices in order to achieve financial freedom. In financial planning, Brenda Badger, Per Scholas’s Senior Manager of Financial Coaching stated that “the most important thing is to be willing to learn and have an open mindset to adopt new habits, processes, and information learned.” 

2.  Create emergency savings, then save for anything else

When we spoke with our financial coaches, all of them had the same advice when it came to what percentage of your income to save: there is no set percentage that works for everyone, but it is very important to first create emergency savings. “Prioritizing emergency savings is a critical part of a sound financial plan,” Brenda emphasized. Once you have created emergency savings, you can then make sure your income outweighs your expenses and determine a reasonable percentage of your paycheck to save each month. We found more money-saving tips from The Penny Hoarder that show how small changes make a significant impact on your savings.  

One way to free up money for your savings that you already have is to consider regular expenses. For example, think about what monthly subscriptions you have and if you are able to cut back on any of those. What about daily coffee runs? Perhaps you are able to reduce your coffee shop visits and save money by brewing at home. Saving money doesn’t necessarily mean you have to significantly diminish your spending on things that you do, but try compartmentalizing your finances so that you can precisely see where you are able to make adjustments. Do you currently have an emergency savings fund? If so, how did you build it, and what, if any, changes did you make to your regular spending habits in order to do so?

3. Create a budget based on your income and goals

How does one start a budget? What may seem like a big task can actually be exciting! Here are some top budgeting tips from Per Scholas’s financial coaches!

• Track all of your spending for one week and use that as a starting point for your budget. It’s important to know where your money is going and how to strategize around reducing debt, saving for big purchases, and investing in your retirement.
• Create a list of all the things you spend money on (bills, fun, transportation) and calculate the amount you think you pay every month. Track your expenses over a month and compare what you think you spend to what you actually spend. Adjust the amounts, so they reflect what is really happening and what you want to happen.
• Budgeting is something that should be done before spending so that there is a plan in place and you know your needs are covered, your goals are addressed, and your wants are permitted.
• Start with your income and include your fixed and variable expenses. Factor in your emergency savings, your future goals, and a miscellaneous category for the unexpected.
• Make your budget match your paycheck schedule. If paid bi-weekly, your budget should be divided into two groups to coincide with the two paychecks you receive each month.
• Track your progress and reward yourself when you reach milestones!

4.  Make SMART financial goals

You should handle your financial goals as you would any other goals and make sure they are SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. Per Scholas Financial Coach Manager Janell Pollard gave great insight with the example of a particular goal of buying a car. “I think it is important to set yourself up for success by testing out things before you commit,” Janell advised. “If you think you can afford a $350 [per month] car payment, practice saving that amount for six months. If you can do it comfortably, you can probably afford the car payment, and you can use the six months of savings (350 x 6 = 2,100) as a down payment. If not, you just saved yourself from making a financial decision you probably couldn’t afford.”  

Consider each of your financial goals. Write them down, then break them down. For example, if one of your goals is to put money into a savings account, consider amplifying this goal to be a SMART goal. Review the SMART questions posed above and consider how these questions apply to the goal of saving money. How much do you want to save? When do you want to have that amount saved? How much will you put away monthly in order to reach that goal in the time you allotted? Are you able to achieve this goal without compromising your current finances? With relevance to your life, how will this goal help you? These are all ways to consider your goals and strengthen your ability to meet them in the time needed. What are some of your SMART financial goals?

5. Find a financial planner to map out your wealth management and money goals.

A final tip for financial planning is to connect with a financial advisor that works well for you. Brenda suggested, “find a Financial Coach you trust and gel well with. Simply having this type of professional in your corner to inform you, support you, and cheer you on might be the boost your finances have been waiting for!” Remember to keep an open mind and be open to new ideas that may be challenging to implement but worthwhile for your future!

Budgeting your money and planning for your finances is necessary, but it does not have to be a daunting task. Our Per Scholas learners are fortunate to have access to excellent financial coaches from our Learner Support Team, who help learners navigate their finances during and beyond their time at Per Scholas. “Per Scholas offers a lot of services to help the learners manage their finances,” recalled Ivan Reyes, who graduated this year from Per Scholas Boston’s IT Support course. “I really was able to take advantage of it, and I’m very grateful for it. It’s good to have that extra help, and it lets you focus on what you’re doing. It’s given me the confidence and peace of mind to go out there to find a job that’s really the right fit for me.”  

When it comes to planning so that you can achieve financial freedom, remember to keep your goals in mind. Whether you are putting $100 a month towards your savings, paying off prior debts, managing a family, or saving up for a particular purchase, each financial goal will be unique to your personal finances. Tackling your finances does not have to be a frightening task; with the proper guidance, it can be educational, informative, and invigorating. Find a budgeting app that works for you, a financial coach that understands your goals and level of financial literacy, and discipline yourself to stay on track with your financial planning. A recent study from Charles Schwab found that 18% of people who did not have a written financial plan felt confident that they could reach their financial goals. In comparison, 54% of people with a written financial plan reportedly felt ‘very confident’ that they could achieve their financial goals.

September was a busy month for Per Scholas!  We were featured in various media outlets that showcased our President and CEO Plinio Ayala and the impact of a few of our seventeen locations.  Did you read the OpEd Plinio Ayala wrote for New York Daily News on the job market and how creating a more inclusive labor market for employers and employees is beneficial for the country or see that Per Scholas was named a top tech program preparing youth to build the future in Baltimore?  Per Scholas Newark also made waves in September in the headlines striving for job equity while one of our Dallas graduates was featured in Parade Magazine.

Plinio Ayala penned an opinion piece for New York Daily News on creating a more inclusive labor market for employers and employees. “By prioritizing funding for evidence-based programs, we can do a better job of ensuring that federal legislation is actually supporting economic mobility rather than just funding nonprofits,” he mentions.  In this essay, titled ‘The Missing Link in Biden’s Jobs Plan,’ Ayala reflects on how tech training programs such as Per Scholas are able to bridge the gap between the abundance of open jobs and individuals with the skills necessary to fill them. “As the president and CEO of Per Scholas, a nonprofit that provides tuition-free training for careers in the technology sector, I’ve seen firsthand the impact programs like these can have on transforming workers’ careers, advancing economic mobility, and positively impacting local economies.”

Per Scholas Newark was featured in New Jersey Business Magazine in an article focused on Newark’s commitment to equitable access to bridge the digital divide.  Per Scholas Newark’s Managing Director LaToya Ball noted, “Per Scholas Collaborates with industry-leading employers to build more diverse talent pools, directly connecting our graduates to new career opportunities in fields such as IT support, cybersecurity, AWS re/Start, and software engineering.”  Days before that publication, the Arman Roy Foundation hosted their 3rd Annual Run for Hope 5k in partnership with Per Scholas Newark.  The 5k was in-person and had a virtual run option as well and raised over $30k towards their mission of bridging the digital divide and creating equity and opportunity for disadvantaged young adults.  

Tara Jacobs, a Per Scholas Dallas 2020 graduate, was featured in Parade Magazine for their annual ‘What People Earn’ issue.  Tara was showcased on the cover of the publication and noted that because of Per Scholas, she has been able to launch her career in tech.  “I serve as the first line of contact within the Service Desk to resolve issues for our customers: troubleshooting, technical support, system set-up, and all things related to customer service. It’s a career I could have never envisioned for myself if not for the tuition-free tech training I received from Per Scholas,” she noted.

Additionally, Per Scholas was named a top tech program preparing youth to build the future in Baltimore by Technical.ly.  This is a great recognition noting the impact of Per Scholas in the Baltimore community that we are so proud to have read about.  We are excited to continue our efforts to connect individuals underrepresented in the tech industry with thriving tech careers. 

With so much great representation in the news in September, we are thrilled to see our impact as we head into the last quarter of the year.  Stay tuned to see how we close the book in 2021! 

Per Scholas is a leader in connecting our learners to thriving tech careers, but not without the help of our partners and staff. There are several ways to get involved and volunteer with Per Scholas and our learners: conducting mock interviews, resume rallies, mentorship, and more!  Our Champion Partner, Workday, and our Catalyst Partner, Salesforce, have been leaders in collaborating with us, giving us their time for mock interviews and mentorship since both partnering with us in 2014.  

Workday has helped our learners develop as IT professionals through various volunteer events. With over 850 volunteer hours logged for 2021 so far, Workday has made it possible for our learners to grow as tech professionals through mentorship meetings and resume rallies.  This past month, they contributed their business professional knowledge to our learners and reviewed our learners’ resumes, and provided feedback on how to improve them to get noticed and showcase their top skills. Workday has partnered with Per Scholas since 2014 and is helping connect our graduates to high-growth careers.  

Salesforce has also volunteered their time and experience with Per Scholas.  This year alone, they have volunteered more than 1,000 hours as a company.  This comes from providing mentorship to our learners before and after graduation, imparting them with interview advice through mock interviews, or reviewing their resumes during one of our resume rally events.  Most recently, Salesforce participated in a mock interview session, supporting nine of our learners to continue to develop and hone soft skills needed in an interview. Salesforce team members provided feedback and advice on this crucial part of getting a job in tech.

This month, our own Per Scholas team took part in a mock interview event where we interacted with our learners and provided thoughtful feedback and insight into the interview process.  We encourage all of our partners to volunteer their time with our learners and impact their professional development throughout their training at Per Scholas.  If you are interested in a volunteer opportunity, either for your company or as an individual, please contact CiCi Flanagan at cflanagan@perscholas.org.

Wilkesboro, N.C. (September 20, 2021) – A bold new initiative seeks to grow a new generation of technology professionals and entrepreneurs in Northwest North Carolina. In an effort to address the state-wide skills gap in entry-level technology career paths and in recognition of the increasing appetite for companies to allow technology talent to work remotely, Wilkes Community College has announced an innovative technology training partnership with nationally renowned tech skills training nonprofit Per Scholas. 

The partnership, which is made possible through the philanthropic support of the Leonard G. Herring Family Foundation, will provide in-demand training and workforce-relevant credentials and certifications for individuals interested in pursuing a career in technology. Critically, the program will work with employers state-wide to connect the program graduates to job opportunities that allow talent to remain in Northwest North Carolina. 

“The tech industry in North Carolina is booming, the pay is great, career growth potential is exceptional, and we want our region to benefit,” said Dr. Jeff Cox, president of Wilkes Community College. “I am thrilled to be entering this partnership with Per Scholas to offer an expanded set of options for great technology careers to our students. Paired with our own fantastic IT instructors, this partnership will provide great career opportunities for our students to graduate from WCC and access high-paying tech jobs that, increasingly, can be done remotely from our region. Remote work allows folks to earn a good living and live a good life surrounded by the natural beauty and small-town feel of Northwest NC.”

“All companies have some degree of technology-based workforce needs,” said Craig DeLucia, Chief Operating Officer of The Leonard G. Herring Family Foundation. “However, North Carolina employers from the coast to the mountains are reporting a significant shortage in workforce-ready talent to fill these jobs. With our best-in-class fiber connectivity and the willingness of employers to locate tech talent remotely, we believe that our talent in Northwest North Carolina can compete with entry-level technologists anywhere in the state, given the opportunity, the training, and the knowledge that these jobs exist.”

“It was important to us to find a workforce training program that has been proven elsewhere but could be replicated in our own backyard,” continued DeLucia. “Per Scholas has demonstrated success by training more than 14,000 people for technology careers and deploying over 11,000 of those graduates into tech jobs. But Per Scholas has also shown an ability and interest in shaping their partnership with Wilkes Community College to meet our own local needs. We believe that supporting this partnership is one of the highest-impact investments we can make in helping our neighbors find a career path that can provide a family-sustaining wage.”

A 2021 report on the tech industry in North Carolina, published by CompTIA, noted that the median tech wage was $82,717, which is 97% higher than the median state wage. In 2020, there were 169,891 job postings in North Carolina, many of which are telework-friendly for residents of Northwest North Carolina. The Wilkes Community College and Per Scholas partnership would make a variety of tech training pathways available to individuals 18 or older with a high school diploma or equivalent who reside in Wilkes, Ashe, and Alleghany counties, as well as 11 other counties within the Appalachian Regional Commission: Alexander, Caldwell, Iredell, Surry, Watauga, and Yadkin in North Carolina; Johnson and Washington in Tennessee; and Carroll, Grayson, and Smyth in Virginia. 

In addition to technical skills, students will also benefit from Per Scholas’ professional development, career coaching, and Learner Support Team offerings, which help individuals gain soft skills and grow into full-time, high-growth careers. To further support students, a stipend totaling $2,250 will be paid incrementally over the duration of the training. 

“This is a great opportunity to showcase the immense talent we have here in Northwest North Carolina and the broader region, and I think it’s coming at the perfect time,” said Mike Terrell, Managing Director of Per Scholas North Carolina. “We’re in a position to really ‘lean in’ to the long-term possibilities of remote learning and remote work and to bring the benefits of tech growth we’re seeing across North Carolina and the nation right into our own backyard. As a resident, I’m excited to see the impact this will have on our communities.”

Per Scholas launched technology training in Charlotte in June 2020 and, to date, more than 90 learners have been trained in Java Development, IT Support, and End User Desktop Support. Many Per Scholas North Carolina alumni are now working in technology roles at companies including TEKsystems, UPS, and Charter Communications. 

To learn more about upcoming training opportunities through this partnership and to apply, please visit perscholas.org/wcc-start. 

About Per Scholas

Per Scholas is a national organization that has been advancing economic mobility for 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 17 major metropolitan areas, Per Scholas has trained more than 14,000 individuals in tech skills, building bridges to careers in technology. To learn more, visit perscholas.org.

About Wilkes Community College

Wilkes Community College, a member of the North Carolina Community College System, is a public, two-year, open-door institution serving the people of Wilkes, Ashe, and Alleghany counties and beyond. Established in 1965, WCC continues to build on a strong history of meeting the educational needs and cultural interests of our students, community, and workforce. WCC prepares learners for success in a dynamic world. To learn more, visit wilkescc.edu. 

About The Leonard G. Herring Family Foundation 

The Herring Family Foundation (HFF), based in Wilkes County, honors the civic and philanthropic spirit of Leonard and Rose Herring and their family. Leonard retired from Lowe’s Companies in 1996 after over 40 years of service. As a member of the Office of the President from 1960 to 1978 and then as President and CEO from 1978 to 1996, Leonard oversaw the growth of Lowe’s from a privately-owned 15-store company with $30 million of annual sales to a public company with more than 365 stores and annual sales of more than $7 billion. On behalf of the Herring Family, HFF seeks to fund resources that are broadly accessible to members of our communities, and that enable individuals to learn, grow, and provide richer and healthier lives for themselves and their families.

Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations are underway around the world and at Per Scholas! The occasion, which runs from September 15 to October 15, is a time to celebrate all of the culture and unique heritage that makes up our Hispanic communities and connect us all to each other.  It has been a focus of ours to connect Hispanic learners with top tech companies to help launch them into a career in technology, as they are historically underrepresented in tech.  

To kick off Hispanic Heritage Month, our President and CEO Plinio Ayala shared a message with our team and encouraged us all to use our shared experiences as a way to connect with one another. He also tapped into his own story as a New York Latino.  Plinio grew up in a close-knit neighborhood in the South Bronx, with representation from various Hispanic communities, including Puerto Rican, Mexican, Dominican, Honduran, and others. He related this story of his first trip out of the Barrio recently to Nia Darville, Director, Diverse by Design, as part of the DxD podcast series. Here, he spoke about why what we do at Per Scholas is so important to him on a personal level and the community he came from.  Plinio’s story resonates all the way through our Per Scholas team and the learners we interact with as we train them for different IT roles and responsibilities.  

Earlier in September, one of our Hispanic learners on track to launch his technology career, Richard Escotto, was featured on CBS Sunday Morning.  The feature focused on how many industries and labor markets are looking for employees following the pandemic and where those employees are working now.  Richard Escotto mentioned that after he lost his restaurant job at the beginning of the pandemic, he decided to change career paths into technology. “[The pandemic] did give me an opportunity that was rare and probably was never going to happen, and sometimes you just have to seize that,” Richard reflected.

Richard Escotto is set to graduate from Per Scholas New York in October 2021 from our Cybersecurity course.  Since the beginning of 2021, we have trained 300 Hispanic learners for our tuition-free tech training program, a growing number that Richard is happy to be a part of.