“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Marty Rodgers of Accenture quoting Margaret Mead in his keynote address at the inaugural Beta Bash 1.0.

October 7, Per Scholas welcomed more than 100 guests — including alumni, partners, employers, and our biggest fans — to the Fillmore in downtown Silver Spring for the first ever Beta Bash 1.0.

Amid the networking and celebration, guests got a hands-on experience of the Per Scholas training by taking the Tech Challenge, a series of challenges developed from the Per Scholas curriculum and administered by the students walking guests through each challenge: Defeat the Board (how to reset a password account), Perfect Your Pitch (deliver your personal job interview pitch) and Connect the World (how to setup a network). Completing the challenge successfully was marked with a formal graduation token, a Per Scholas lapel pin which each student receives upon graduating from the Per Scholas training.

The live program was opened by graduate Chrystal Banks who captivated the audience with her through college, to motherhood, to Per Scholas, and now to a spot in the General Assembly web developer course on a full scholarship. She eloquently relayed the importance of supporting organizations like Per Scholas, saying, “Your being here is so powerful. Your being here matters. It creates opportunity. It changes lives.” You can read her full remarks here.

Chrystal was followed by keynote speaker Marty Rodgers, Managing Director of Accenture and Accenture Federal Services. He began, “Like Chrystal, it is my fondest hope that my children will grow up to change the world. If we bet on people like Bridgette Gray and we bet on organizations like Per Scholas, and we have courage to collaborate, we can change communities.” Marty inspired the crowd with his person story of his name, explaining that a name defines who and what you are. Per Scholas, he emphasized, means “through education”; and through education, we can achieve anything.

Marty was followed by Managing Director Bridgette Gray, who was glowing from the outpouring of support from the local community. In addition to thanking partners and supporters, Bridgette awarded two organizations, Dynamic Network Solutions (DNS) and MagView each as a Corporate Partner of the Year. Collectively the two firms have hired 20% of the NCR graduates. Accepting the award on behalf of DNS, Jason Coke shared with the crowd, “As a small business, it’s really hard to find talent. Per Scholas has changed the way we hire. We get high quality candidates on a consistent basis.”

Bridgette then announced the news of Per Scholas and partner Symantec launching a cybersecurity training track for veterans in the National Capital Region in the coming year. Symantec has made a substantial investment in the project as a part of its Cyber Career Connection (SC3) initiative earning them the Innovator of the Year which was accepted by Cheri McGuire of Symantec. Bridgette presented the award with, “Innovation is hard. It’s easy to avoid. It’s easy to say no. It’s hard to put skin in the game and say yes. It is a huge honor to recognize Symantec for saying yes to innovation.”

The program was closed by Per Scholas National Capital Region Advisory Board Chair Ed Glabus who rallied the crowd to get involved with Per Scholas in specific ways:

• Connect with Per Scholas on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
• Invest in our training
• Volunteer time to work with students to build their professional development
• Hire our graduates like the 50+ other companies in the NCR
• Become a thought partner and help lead Per Scholas to the next phase of growth
• Join our local advisory board to use your leadership to build the future of Per Scholas

There was undeniable enthusiasm from a strong community of champions to expand the impact of Per Scholas well into the future. We thank all of our sponsors — Symantec, Accenture, Capital One, Catholic Charities, Dynamic Network Solutions, IronBow, and MagView; our advisory board, local staff, the event team at The Event Studio, and all the people who showed up to support the work we do.

We will be posting the photos from the evening as well as the photobooth on our Facebook page by next week.

To get involved in our work, you can go to perscholas.org or contact Managing Director Bridgette Gray at bgray@perscholas.org.

A tech gala. No ball gown required.

Join us for a night to celebrate the vibrant tech ecosystem in the Capital Region, and Per Scholas as an innovative, effective means to building successful career paths for the future tech workforce, presented by Accenture and Symantec.

Help us further spark economic renewal and untapped talent in the National Capital Region. Join us on October 7 at Beta Bash 1.0 and change the future of our communities.

With your support we will transform communities, businesses and the local tech workforce. Purchase or your ticket and share with friends. Your ticket gets you unlimited beer and wine as well as food.

Thank you to presenting sponsors Accenture and Symantec, as well as supporting sponsors Capital One, Dynamic Network Solutions, Ironbow, Catholic Charities and MagView for their generous support.

• Celebrate with our growing tech community
• Party with innovative entrepreneurs and companies
• Enjoy amazing food and drinks
• Invest in the future of the Capital Region’s booming tech ecosystem

We are still offering Silver, Gold, and Platinum sponsorship levels. To sponsor the Beta Bash, please contact Bridgette Gray or click here for benefits for each level.

BETA BASH 1.0 HOST COMMITTEE

• Martin “Marty” Rodgers, Accenture
• Bill Varner, ManTech International
• Ed Glabus, Veterans Consortium
• Steve Jarboe, Accenture
• Charles Britt, Northern Virginia Community College
• Barbara Ebel, State of Maryland/DWDAL
• Ellie Giles, Montgomery Business Development Corporation
• Monsignor John Enzler, Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Greater Washington
• Lisa Paro, Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Greater Washington

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SILVER SPRING, MD – Sept. 24, 2015 – Cybersecurity giant Symantec invests $375,000 in it’s newest Cyber Career Connection (SC3) partner, national IT workforce development organization Per Scholas in the National Capital Region, to train military veterans for careers in cybersecurity.

As the economy continues to improve and headlines tout large numbers of job creation, the reality in low-income and middle-class communities shows the economic recovery has not hit everyone. In the National Capital Region, unemployment is at 5%-8% with 10%-16% of residents below the poverty line, and 45%-59% of adults lacking post-secondary credentials (DC, MD; Opportunity Index, 2014). Yet tech positions, accessible through training and credentials, are plentiful and growing. By 2018, regional businesses will grow their non-management IT workforce from 198,851 to over 219,456 positions (CareerBuilder/EMSI Analyst, 2014). Between turnover and new job openings, there are approximately 9,800 annual openings that residents, if properly trained, could fill.

To address this gap, the Per Scholas workforce development approach is driven by the understanding of the business community and where the pain points are in hiring. That information is used to build training programs tailored to the skills that are currently in demand in information technology. Upon opening its doors in the National Capital Region, Per Scholas heard from employers eager to fill cybersecurity roles.

The National Capital Region (NCR) had more than 23,000 job postings for cybersecurity in 2013, and 2015 projections show this number grew to 33,000, the most nationally. Growing demand is only part of the challenge employers face. The pipeline of talent is also scarce given cybersecurity qualifications.

Recognized by the White House as an effective model, Per Scholas has a track record and an independent study that proves several weeks of training is sufficient for its students, who are adults unemployed or in low-wage jobs, to acquire the skills and certification needed to succeed in entry-level IT roles. In less than one year of operation, Per Scholas of the National Capital Region trained 100 technologists with a 92% graduation rate, and 86% of those graduates have already landed jobs at average starting wages upwards of $39,000 annually.

Chrystal Banks graduated from Per Scholas in late 2014. A former barista at Starbucks and mother to a 2-year-old son, Chrystal nearly completed college before the cost of school became more than she could manage on her hourly salary. When the opportunity of Per Scholas was presented to her, she jumped on it eager to make a career out of a natural knack she had with technology. Chrystal graduated and began working on the Help Desk at a local university that earned her both a stable income and stable schedule. She is soon to begin an advancement course to learn web development at General Assembly. “Coming with the basic skills Per Scholas gave me, it’s up to me to take the initiative to build on that, and I’ve done that,” Chrystal shared. “I have a job. I have a nice apartment. My son is smart, and I get to nurture that. I have resources and a stable work schedule that allows me to be there for him and support his growth.”

Through the SC3 cybersecurity program, Per Scholas will provide military veterans tuition-free training in IT support and cybersecurity. The first eight weeks of training facilitated by Per Scholas will prepare participants with the foundation of IT infrastructure and support leading to the CompTIA A+ certification. The second phase of the training will be provided in partnership with Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) and provide four additional months of training that leads to Network+, Security+ and Ethical Hacker Certifications and entry-level employment assistance into cybersecurity.

Referral partners for this program will come from Paralyzed Veterans of America, Easter Seals, the Center for Women Veterans, and the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation to ensure the training is offered to two of the most overlooked but talented groups of people. The training will be conducted at Per Scholas, 700 Roeder Road, 1st Floor, Silver Spring, MD. Any questions should be directed to Bridgette Gray at (301) 557-9200 or to nationalcapitalregion@perscholas.org.

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ABOUT

Per Scholas is a national nonprofit offering tuition-free, high-quality technology job training and career development to unemployed and underemployed individuals. Since 1998, more than 5,000 have enrolled in its job training programs. For more information, visit perscholas.org, Twitter @PerScholas and Facebook.

It’s no secret that diversity in tech is an issue of today’s workforce. A staggering 26% of the computing workforce, and only 3% of the workforce is made up of black women. IT services firm FDM Group and nonprofit tech school Per Scholas are trying to change that by building a pipeline of diverse talent to the IT world.

Kiesha Quashie, Per Scholas alumna and Consultant at FDM Group is one of many Per Scholas graduates who have transitioned from the Per Scholas training to a paid position in FDM’s Careers Program, a training-to-employment model designed to expose workers to the experience and know-how they need to work with top clients in the IT services industry.

To date, FDM Group has accepted seven graduates from the Per Scholas IT job training program.

FDM COO Sheila Flavell spearheads the company’s Women in IT initiative, and 50% of the company’s senior management team is currently female. “As a company committed to championing Women in IT and driving gender diversity in the workplace, FDM is proud to work in partnership with a number of organizations who share in this mission,” says Sheila.

Per Scholas has committed to training 1,000 women by 2018 in response to the industry figure estimating only 3% of the IT workforce are women of color. With women enrollment at Per Scholas being as low as 18% in past years, it increased to 30% in 2014 (90% of whom identify as women of color). In 2015, that figure will increase to 35%, or 200+ women.

Per Scholas graduate Keisha says working in a male-dominated field was challenging at first. But Keisha, like other Per Scholas female graduates, quickly overcame the gender barrier. She says, “Once you have the knowledge and you are able to hold your ground, you become a strong force and a pool of knowledge that attracts other to you.”

In addition to their commitment to changing the industry and helping more women pursue technology careers, both FDM and Per Scholas’ work inherently bridges the skills and experience gap as well.

FDM Group is renowned for their Careers Program, which gives individuals award-winning business and technical training in core disciplines. They then progress to represent FDM on client sites in financial services, media, retail and insurance as FDM Consultants for a minimum of two years.

“In order for Per Scholas students to find good long-term jobs, they need to learn what it’s really like to work in the field. Programs like FDM’s help augment the work we do at Per Scholas to bridge the skills and experience gap,” says Tiernan Walsh, Per Scholas Director of Corporate Staffing.

Per Scholas prepares ready-to-work individuals for careers in IT through its multi-week intensive IT courses. Training is free to participants and provided for those who are unemployed or under-employed. Outcomes are high with an 85% graduation rate and 80% of those graduates becoming employed with employer partners like FDM. In 2015, across five current locations, Per Scholas will enroll 700 students.

“We have seen through experience that many Per Scholas alumni are an excellent fit for the FDM environment,” says Ahmet Aydin, Head of Consultant Support for FDM in the US. “They are committed to furthering their technology, business, and professional skills, entering into our program with an eagerness to learn that enables them to excel in their roles as professional Consultants working onsite with our clients.”

Jose Rodriguez, Per Scholas Project Scale alumnus, works in IT Support for FDM North America. “FDM Group is a great company to work,” says Jose. “They have a professional, friendly, and welcoming environment where you can interact with all the staff members, ranging from the Sales department to the CEO.”

In 2016, FDM and Per Scholas have plans to grow their strong relationship to enable more Per Scholas grads, specifically women of color, on-ramps into tech. Ahmet says, “We believe that this is only the beginning of a very fruitful partnership, and look forward to working together with Per Scholas in the launching of successful careers in IT for years to come.”

Per Scholas Selected as Grant Recipient of Youth Opportunity Fund to Connect Low-Income Young Adults in New York City to Career Opportunities in Partnership with New York City Housing Authority and The Bronx Youth Center

The new $3 million Fund, led by the Citi Foundation and America’s Promise Alliance, supports innovative city programs that prepare low-income youth for future success

NEW YORK, AUGUST 25, 2015 – The Citi Foundation and America’s Promise Alliance today announced Per Scholas as a recipient of the Youth Opportunity Fund, a $3 million initiative to support city-level, innovative and scalable programs connecting youth to opportunities that increase their employability and prepare them for lifelong success.

The Youth Opportunity Fund is part of the Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress initiative, designed to support direct-service programs that empower urban youth, ages 16 to 24. A total of 12 grants will be awarded to nonprofit organizations in 10 of the largest U.S. cities: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Newark, St. Louis, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Per Scholas and the United Way of New York City are the only recipients of this award in New York City.

“To get ahead, young people need two things: opportunity and access,” said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Together, we can leverage resources and develop talent that could have a major impact on our business communities and lead to a more stable future for youth across each city. We are grateful to the Citi Foundation for its support of our Expanding NYC Service Years initiative. Their commitment is helping New York City address critical city needs through the expansion of neighborhood-based service year programs which recruit and develop a local workforce pipeline.”

Per Scholas will receive a one-year grant totaling $250,000 to expand The Career Access Network Program, a post-secondary education and career pathway option for low-income young adults to access careers in technology. Building on strong partnerships with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and The Bronx Youth Center (BYC) operated by The Door, the initiative will serve 250 young New Yorkers, helping them to launch family-sustaining careers primarily in the technology sector.

Through the program, NYCHA will refer disconnected youth to BYC. BYC will provide individualized assessment services and direct youth participants in one of three possible paths, based on the interest, aptitude, and work-readiness: 1) Per Scholas’ IT Support training program; 2) a prep course for IT Support that helps individuals gain the requisite math and English skills; and 3) alternative BYC programs to help participants finish school, attend college, and/or start a career.

Historically, Per Scholas has trained more than 5,000 individuals through its free IT job training programs from which 85% of participants graduate and 80% of graduates become employed. The average starting wages in these jobs are 400% more than pre-training incomes—and no debt to the student.

Nyaisha Lee, 21 and a graduate of Per Scholas, learned about the Per Scholas training through a NYCHA newsletter. “I know a lot of people that rushed into college because that’s what their parents wanted them to do. A lot of them dropped out or got pregnant. I already knew I wanted to be in the IT industry but I didn’t know how to get in without going to college.” Following training she landed a job at a Fortunate 500 company, Xerox, and her earnings allow her to help her family as well as advance herself.

“We are committed to help tackle the pervasive issue of youth unemployment,” said Plinio Ayala, President and CEO of Per Scholas. “With the support of the Citi Foundation, through the Youth Opportunity Fund grant, we are enhancing our efforts to help more local young people reach their full academic and career potential.”

The Fund supports programs that address youth unemployment through partnerships with municipal governments and collaborations across industries that are core to the economies of the Pathways to Progress cities, including IT, tech, healthcare, the service industry and environmental sustainability. Grantees will collaborate and share best practices on the most effective ways to expand and connect youth to economic opportunity in their communities.

“The future competitiveness of America’s cities hinges on the positive economic outcomes of our young people,” said Brandee McHale, President of the Citi Foundation. “We launched the Youth Opportunity Fund to support the innovative work of community partners who are helping low-income youth create the on-ramps that will lead towards career success.”

“We are dealing with the mixed reality of our nation’s high school graduation numbers increasing at unprecedented rates, while an estimated 5.6 million young people are not in school or employed,” said John Gomperts, president & CEO of America’s Promise. “The dozen Youth Opportunity Fund grantees are vital to connecting thousands of young people to opportunities that boost their ability to compete in today’s economy.”

In its first year, nearly 25,000 young people have been impacted by the Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress initiative, a three-year, $50 million commitment to give 100,000 low-income youth in the U.S. the opportunity to develop the workplace skills and leadership experience necessary to compete in a 21st century economy. The initiative includes national organizations such as the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, Points of Light, AmeriCorps, Management Leadership for Tomorrow, iMentor and the Cities for Financial Empowerment.

The New York City Housing Authority’s mission is to increase opportunities for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers by providing safe, affordable housing and facilitating access to social and community services. More than 400,000 New Yorkers reside in NYCHA’s 328 public housing developments across the City’s five boroughs. Another 235,000 receive subsidized rental assistance in private homes through the NYCHA-administered Section 8 Leased Housing Program.

Operated by The Door, The Bronx Youth Center (BYC) provides comprehensive programming to out-of-school, unemployed young adults and helps young people to meet their personal, educational, and professional goals. Operating since July 2002, the BYC provides career preparation activities such as career exploration, internships, advisement, and job search assistance.

To learn more about the Youth Opportunity Fund and see a full list of grantees visit: www.americaspromise.org/youthopportunityfund.

MEDIA CONTACT

Jessicah White, jwhite@perscholas.org // 718-772-0623

“Awesome”… “Unbelievable”… “Great synergy with CityLink.”

On July 21, technology job-training nonprofit Per Scholas celebrated the grand opening of its new location in the CityLink Center, located in west end Cincinnati. More than 60 guests attended at the Bank Street location to support this new collaboration. Guests toured the technology-training facility, met graduates of the program as well as current students, and learned about Per Scholas’ high-impact technology job training.

“You are doing good and important work here,” Cincinnati Vice Mayor David Mann remarked as a special guest speaker in the program. Others from local city agencies, corporations, and philanthropy joined–with a large presence from the local IT industry.

One feeling was unanimous: “impressed.” Courtney Hodapp, representing JPMorgan Chase, commented on how impressed she was with everything she saw and heard. A representative of Senator Rob Portman stated that she was very impressed with both the program and students.

Per Scholas training graduate Rita Knaff gave remarks at the opening. Prior to Per Scholas she worked in the airline industry for nearly 20 years before being laid off during the economic recession. “After 100 job applications, receiving rejection letter after rejection letter, I knew I needed a new plan.” She found and enrolled in Per Scholas and today works at local IT company Pomeroy as a project coordinator.

Per Scholas and CityLink share a similar mission of helping Greater Cincinnatians break the cycle of poverty. As part of the collaboration, Per Scholas students now have access to on-site childcare during their classes, financial counseling through SmartMoney, private transportation through Changing Gears, counseling with Catholic Charities, and more, that allow students to complete the job training and begin a new career without additional obstacles in the way.

“We needed a place where we can expand and grow in Cincinnati, and provide the many wraparound services that ensures our students are able to fully transform their life. CityLink welcoming us into its network allows for all of that,” said Plinio Ayala, President and CEO of Per Scholas.

CityLink Executive Director, Johnmark Oudersluys, is grateful to have a nationally recognized program join the CityLink collaboration, “We are extremely excited about the synergies our partnership with Per Scholas presents our clients and how it will further our respective missions.”

To date, Per Scholas has enrolled 130 residents from Greater Cincinnati, and employed graduates are already earning approximately $1.8 million dollars collectively.

The Cincinnati location of Per Scholas is part of a national network of sites launched by its New York City based headquarters. Founded in 1995 as a neighborhood-based effort to increase access to personal computers, Per Scholas was an early pioneer in bridging the digital divide for families and children in the South Bronx.

Per Scholas and CityLink plan to serve up to 80 individuals through the IT career training during the first year, with a goal of not only graduating, but placing a minimum of 80% of students in gainful field-related employment opportunities.

On July 14, Per Scholas held its annual Women in Tech Networking Event where we celebrated Per Scholas’ women grads who are diversifying the industry. Our friends, colleagues, partners alums and students joined us in our commitment to build a welcoming community for every woman technologist in New York City and beyond.

At the event, guests heard from inspiring women technologists about how they are touching the lives of other women all over New York City and beyond.

Vice President of Program Operations, Kelly Richardson, rocked it on the mic as the emcee. Special shout out to CA Technologies for sponsoring, to Kate Spade & Company Foundation and the New York Women’s Foundation for their generous support of the program, and to our host Thomson Reuters.Thanks to our panelists:Lisa Edwards, Per Scholas grad & Analyst at Barclays; Joyce Shen of Thomson Reuters; and Marianne Cocco of CA Technologies.

Per Scholas has committed to train 1,000 women for careers in technology by 2018. Since the launch of our Women in Tech program in 2013, 425 women have already graduated from Per Scholas, 89% of whom are women of color.

As our Women in Tech grads diversify the tech industry, the support helps provide the welcoming community they and every woman technologist needs as — together — we work to transform NYC’s vibrant tech ecosystem.

Here’s how you can get involved:

1. Make an Investment and donate to our 1,000 WOMEN IN TECH summer campaign. (Or, encourage a friend to donate!). Every dollar supports our shared commitment to diversifying the tech industry.
2. Volunteer to work with students on their path to a career in tech. Contact Sarah for opportunities.
3. Mentor a future woman technologist. Per Scholas is actively recruiting mentors from the technology field to encourage and advise Women in Tech students with the goal of helping them transition into the IT workforce. Contact Sarah for opportunities.
4. Hire a graduate. Pass this email along to your HR department or other key players, or contact Sarah for more information.
5. Spread the word. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to keep up with the feel good news. Forward this message to friends and family to share our inspiring work with more.

Cincinnati graduate Rita Knaff took the stage today at the 2015 Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF) Symposium, a gathering of African American CIOs to promote more diversity in executive-level IT positions across the country.

Before Per Scholas Rita worked as a flight attendant for 19 years. When she was suddenly laid off, she didn’t know what to do with her life. Through word of mouth she found Per Scholas, and is now a Project Coordinator at IT firm Pomeroy.

BRONX, N.Y. — March 5, 2015 — Per Scholas graduate and local Bronx native Servon Lewis, 26, gave the opening speech at a national summit in Washington, D.C. on February 26 focused on creating more job and career opportunities for young people across the United States.

The event hosted by Opportunity Nation, a bipartisan coalition, convened over 1,000 attendees and featured elected officials, nonprofits, higher education institutions and businesses to discuss the major problems blocking economic, social and educational opportunity for young adults. Additional speakers included Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Chair of the House Republican Conference; U.S. Secretary of Labor, Thomas Perez; Senator Cory Booker and others.

Servon Lewis graduated from the free IT job training program offered by Per Scholas in 2012. He was then accepted for a paid internship program offered to Per Scholas graduates by its corporate partner, Neuberger Berman, a private, employee-owned investment manager. He still works with the firm today and has received two promotions since the internship.

“We are proud Servon is on our team, where he is an important member of IT support, a critical function in the context of a firm managing $250 billion for clients globally,” said George Walker, Chairman and CEO of Neuberger Berman. “We met Servon through our support of Per Scholas—one of many community partners. What commenced as a 10-week internship was quickly extended to a nine-month assignment and became a full-time role given Servon’s deep commitment to excellence and his strong communication and technical skills. He has made our firm a better place, helping us continue to serve our clients.”

“I want to work. I want to succeed. And, you know what? I’m good at what I do!” Lewis shared with the audience as he told the story of his childhood in the Bronx Monroe housing projects and his personal journey to professional achievements driven by determination and hard work. “I’m sharing this today because we need more companies like Neuberger Berman willing to partner with more programs – like Per Scholas – to make sure that the talent which exists within our communities is being reached and the opportunity made accessible.”

Currently, young adults ages 16-24 face unemployment rates nearly twice the national average and nearly six million youth are neither in school nor working. Opportunity Nation seeks to expand economic opportunity and close the opportunity gap by amplifying the work of its coalition members and advocating policy and private sector actions. The 2015 National Opportunity Summit was hosted by Opportunity Nation and Co-convened Business Roundtable (BRT), JAG (Jobs for America’s Graduates), U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and United Way Worldwide.

Per Scholas is a national nonprofit organization offering free, high quality technology education, job training, placement and career development opportunities to people in underserved communities. Since 1998, more than 5,000 unemployed and underemployed adults (18+ years old) have enrolled in its job training programs. Servon Lewis was previously featured following a similar speech he gave at the Per Scholas 2013 ROI Corporate Dinner. For more information visit perscholas.org and Facebook.

Per Scholas National Capital Region and its local board members, Jason Green, Co-founder,SkillSmart and Charles Britt, Director STEM Education, NVCC and host partner Accenture, have convened a regional task force to focus on the regional challenges in creating a talent pipeline for the 23k+ open jobs in cyber security. With representation from workforce development, education, industry, policy makers and government, the Task Force will:

• Define and quantify job skills (i.e., determine specific skills and experiences required for cyber success)
• Develop Career pathways (i.e., demonstrate career progression opportunities in cyber)
• Establish a program clearinghouse (i.e., create toolkit to increase awareness of existing programs and resources)

The Task Force believes a good number of these open positions can be filled through skills based training and ladders of education. The Task Force is looking forward to engaging employers to determine the actual skills needed to fill these positions and validate the continual education needed to progress in cyber security careers.

In all of its markets, Per Scholas strives to meet the specific demands of regional employers through its specified IT training. It takes strong partnerships to make that happen. Per Scholas is currently working with Accenture and Ashoka on the Talent Growth Initiative to address the US Talent Gap and to identify innovations that can be scaled up for broad impact. As a result of the partnership, Accenture has been instrumental in researching internship opportunities for Per Scholas students and identifying employer opportunities for Per Scholas training tracks.

Overall, this initial meeting of the task force remained in line with the strong emphasis on the importance of all leaders working together as a team towards the creation of an evolved workforce.

This gathering grew out of a cyber security panel convened by Per Scholas in October of 2014, where a dynamic gathering of leaders from education, government, industry and workforce development evaluated and discussed the current cyber security landscape, the restrictions that cause the talent gap, alternatives for building a stronger pipeline, and considerations in creating a diverse pipeline of local talent to fill immediate and future need.

Additional info

The task force will meet face-to-face four times, with the last meeting in January of 2016. In between in person meetings, there will be four check in calls.

To learn more about how Per Scholas is working to address regional and national skills gaps, click here.