New York City approved a plan to replace a total of 7,600 outdated pay phone booths with public WiFi kiosks in all five boroughs by 2019.

LinkNYC is a first-of-its-kind communications network that will bring the fastest available free Wi-Fi to millions of New Yorkers, small businesses, and visitors. The icing on the cake? Per Scholas will partner with Control Group, who has provided internships, jobs, volunteers, and donations in the past to Per Scholas, and Titan Outdoor Communications on the project to train operations and maintenance workers to upkeep the devices throughout the city. That means good jobs for Per Scholas graduates, and the chance for them to be involved in a massive 21st Century investment to New York City.

“When Per Scholas was founded in the mid-nineties, we were on a mission to bridge the digital divide in our most disconnected communities. Bringing free high-speed wi-fi and future-forward public technology like LinkNYC to all New Yorkers addresses the divide head-on. Per Scholas is proud to support this work and help ready the workforce to roll out this exciting technology,” Angie Kamath, Executive Director of New York, expressed of the program.

What does LinkNYC mean for New York City?

• Overall, New York City will see a 125X increase in the number of available payphone Wi-Fi hotspots
• Staten Island will see a 279X increase in available payphone Wi-Fi hotspots
• Brooklyn will see a 192X increase in available payphone Wi-Fi hotspots
• The Bronx will see a 245X increase in available payphone Wi-Fi hotspots
• Queens will see a 124X increase in available payphone Wi-Fi hotspots
• Manhattan will see a 100X increase in available payphone Wi-Fi hotspots

The last decade has seen an upsurge in innovative companies and start-ups transforming many areas of New York, notably Brooklyn’s Navy Yard and Dumbo neighborhoods. These communities – once considered downtrodden – are now vital seed beds for young businesses and opportunistic entrepreneurs. This trend has positively altered the socio-economic landscape of those areas by creating countless jobs and providing a huge boost to local businesses.

Yet somehow, the same innovation renaissance that continues to redefine boroughs like Brooklyn has not made its way to the Bronx. A number of factors have played a role in this, including a lack of infrastructure in some of these areas – but it hasn’t been for lack of trying.

Until now, parts of the Bronx and other underdeveloped areas of the city have lacked any sort of technological infrastructure for growing jobs and attracting new business. Through this initiative, the Bronx will see a 245X increase in available payphone Wi-Fi hotspots.

Connectivity is a powerful tool that will give overlooked and underdeveloped parts of not only the Bronx, but other parts of New York City an invaluable boost, paving the way for innovative and tech-savvy businesses to begin transforming these neighborhoods. A surge of tech-enabled businesses will bring new, higher-wage jobs to the Bronx. Read more on Control Group, LinkNYC, and Per Scholas’ job creation Urban Development Center project.

Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Council awards $1.8 million to Per Scholas and its Urban Development Center (UDC) partner Doran Jones.

In 2011, New York State’s Governor Cuomo created 10 Regional Councils to develop long-term strategic plans for economic growth for their regions, as a key component of Governor Cuomo’s transformative approach to economic development. New York City’s Regional Economic Development Council’s (REDC) five-year strategic plan is focused on accelerating economic growth and job creation by building on the city’s many strengths, while ensuring that economically distressed communities and populations have greater opportunities to participate in the benefits of growth. Per Scholas is honored to be awarded funding for both its core IT-Ready training program and ground-breaking UDC project.

“We are very proud to receive this substantial investment from Governor Cuomo and the State of New York,” Plinio Ayala, President and CEO of Per Scholas, said in response to the award. “We applaud the Governor and the state for believing in this economic development for the city and its people. This is a job creator, one that will support high-tech growth in New York City and have a tremendous impact on this neighborhood, its residents and the city.”

“We are excited to receive this investment from the state for our expansion plans of the Urban Development Center,” said Keith Klain, CEO of Doran Jones Testing. “It’s validating our vision for the next New York tech corridor in the South Bronx.”

Per Scholas is partnering with IT consulting firm Doran Jones to bring 450 new, high-tech jobs to the heart of the South Bronx (Port Morris) through a unique and innovative partnership. The Urban Development Center (UDC) brings together Per Scholas’ expertise as an IT training provider, and Doran Jones’ expertise as a software testing center operator.

For the UDC phase 1 (currently underway), Per Scholas is training and Doran Jones will hire 150 STEP graduates. For the planned 2015 UDC phase 2 (the focus of this proposal), Per Scholas will train and Doran Jones will hire an additional 300 graduates. Training eligibility is limited to those living at or below 200% federal poverty, ensuring that these jobs will go to individuals from NYC’s most economically distressed communities. New hires will have a starting wage of $35,000 with benefits and advancement opportunities.

Through the Urban Development Center and Per Scholas’ core IT-Ready job training program, its approach ensures that the low-income New Yorkers who make up its student population are not only able to qualify for and obtain entry-level jobs in the IT industry, but that they have the training, support, and positioning to become upward mobile in their careers–an important focus of the REDC. On average, Per Scholas graduates earn a starting wage four times their average pre-training income.

WIRED Magazine published “Urban Onshoring: The Movement to Bring Tech Jobs back to the U.S.” November 11, 2014 and in it featured Per Scholas’ Urban Development Center initiative with Doran Jones alongside Majora Carter’s newest initiative StartupBox. The article written by Issie Lapowsky highlights the Per Scholas STEP course and UDC model as a viable business solution. Highlights include:

• “The Urban Development Center lends this whole urban on-shoring concept some serious street cred, primarily because of a man named Keith Klain […] he spent years as the head of global testing for Barclay’s Capital, traveling the world setting up and managing software testing operations in India and Kiev. For Klain, bringing these jobs back to the US is not just altruism. It’s business.”
• “Both operations—Startup Box and Doran Jones—paint their new operations as more than just charity projects. As offshoring becomes more and more problematic in the ever-changing tech world, they say, on-shoring is a major market opportunity. They can make outsourcing more efficient and diversify the talent pipeline in tech, in addition to bringing some much needed jobs back to the US.”
• “Here at Per Scholas, the bar is set substantially higher […] The classes are free, but to get accepted, students have to pass a lengthy entrance exam and an in-person interview. Once they pass, it’s eight weeks of hardcore—some called it “grueling”—training in different coding languages and crash courses in agile development. […] Klain calls [the earning potential in testing] ‘kind of life-changing money.’ It’s little wonder then that [the students] are willing to power through the tough days.”
• “This is probably one of the largest, if not the largest, infusions of good paying jobs in this area in a very, very long time,” says Plinio Ayala, who has been president and CEO of Per Scholas since 2003. “It could really transform this community.”
• “What if it catches on? What if tech work could unify—instead of divide—communities in urban centers, from San Francisco and New York City? Even Klain, business-minded as he is, can’t help but let his imagination run wild with the potential impact a place like this could have on a place like this.”

For the full article, see here. Learn more about enrolling in the software testing course or other courses at Per Scholas, the UDC project, make a donation, hire testers, or get involved in other ways.

The threat of cyber attack is real.

The issue of cyber security is by no means new to the industry with 1.5 million cyber attacksmonitored in the U.S. in 2013. Cyber breaches are a fact of modern life that affect small, medium, and large businesses alike.

Because of the high threat that exists in today’s world, cyber security warriors are in high demand across a wide range of sectors from finance, to government to retail to academia. In fact, the Washington metro area had more than 23,000 job postings for cyber security positions in 2013, the largest concentration in the nation.

Although substantial investments in preparing a skilled workforce are being made in the region to address this imminent growth, the truth is, our nation’s cyber security talent pipeline is broken. The growing demand is only part of the challenge faced by employers. A pipeline of abundant talent is also scarce given specific qualifications required for cyber security–like security clearance and minimum years of industry experience.

On October 8, Per Scholas brought together cyber security specialists in a conversation on the regional skills gap for entry-level cyber security positions in the National Capital Region. The panel convened with leaders from private industry, higher education, and government working in partnership to develop pathways into the cyber workforce. The panel 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. The conversation included a strong emphasis on the importance of all leaders working together as a team towards the creation of an evolved workforce. Bridgette Gray, Managing Director for Per Scholas National Capital Region. “Often, we’re trying to resolve regional challenges in our own silos. On October 8, we began the process of breaking down these silos. To address regional issues, we must erase jurisdictional lines by bringing all players across the region to the table; there’s a place for everyone. In all of our markets, Per Scholas strives to meet the specific demands of regional employers through our IT training. It takes strong partnerships to make that happen. We are happy to take the lead in building out this task force with all of our partners.” Those interested in contributing ideas, jobs, data, funding and leadership may contact Bridgette Gray at bgray@perscholas.org.

Per Scholas convenes cyber security task force to build pipeline for cyber security need in the National Capital Region.

Experts from private industry, higher education, and government join Per Scholas to begin initial planning.

Per Scholas, National IT workforce development expert, brings together cyber security specialists in a conversation on the regional skills gap for entry-level cyber security positions. The panel convened October 8 at the Silver Spring Civic Center with leaders from private industry, higher education, and government working in partnership to develop pathways into the cyber workforce.

“Cyber is so dynamic. You cannot teach it from a textbook,” said panelist Renee Forney, Executive Director of CyberSkills Management Support Initiative at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “The key is true information sharing. If all interested parties can work together, then we can create a workforce that is agile enough to combat these threats.”

The recent security breach at JPMorgan Chase has caused cyber security issues to rise to the top of headlines and the priority list of policy experts, educators and business owners. The issue of cyber security is by no means new to the industry with 1.5 million cyber attacks monitored in the U.S. in 2013. Nor is the problem exclusive to our biggest companies: 75 percent of breaches occur in companies with fewer than 100 employees.

The Washington metro area had more than 23,000 job postings for cyber security positions in 2013, the largest concentration in the nation. Growing demand is only part of the challenge faced by employers. A pipeline of abundant talent is also scarce given specific qualifications required for cyber security–like security clearance and minimum years of industry experience.

Substantial investments in preparing a skilled workforce are being made in the region to address this imminent growth. Montgomery Community College, as the lead college of a consortium of Maryland community colleges, has been awarded a $15 million TAACCCT grant to support cyber-technology workforce development. Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) has been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance 2-Year Education (CAE2Y) by the National Security Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The panel 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. The conversation included a strong emphasis on the importance of all leaders working together as a team towards the creation of an evolved workforce.

“I am heartened by the diversity of the people in this room. We need to recognize that we all have a very important role to play,” said Jason Green, Per Scholas advisory board member and co-founder of SkillSmart, a technology venture designed to match job seekers to employment opportunities based on skills. “It’s not an opportunity, it’s a requirement. We can’t address the significant challenge ahead unless we work together.

Panelists included moderator Mark Shaw from ManTech International, the region’s largest cyber security employer; Mike Knapp, Skillsmart; Charles Britt, Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA); Richard Hill, Accenture; Renee Forney, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Kelley Bray, Symantec; Steve Silverman, Department of Economic Development, Montgomery County; and Bridgette Gray, Per Scholas. Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Navarro made opening remarks. Representatives from the offices of U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski and U.S. Congressman Chris Van Hollen were in attendance.

“Today was a breath of fresh air,” says Bridgette Gray, Managing Director for Per Scholas National Capital Region. “Often, we’re trying to resolve regional challenges in our own silos. Today, we began the process of breaking down these silos. To address regional issues, we must erase jurisdictional lines by bringing all
players across the region to the table; there’s a place for everyone. In all of our markets, Per Scholas strives to meet the specific demands of regional employers through our IT training. It takes strong partnerships to make that happen. We are happy to take the lead in building out this task force with all of our partners.”

Per Scholas recently established partnerships with private company Doran Jones to build a talent pipeline of software testers, and a middle-skill training with the City of New York community college system. A similar approach will be taken toward cyber security opportunities in the National Capital Region.

The Per Scholas rapid re-employment training approach provides immediate relief for IT workforce demand. Its core entry-level training IT-Ready is only 8 weeks, allowing graduates to quickly fill available positions. And Per Scholas has the employer partners to bridge job seekers to jobs. IT-Ready training is an onramp to entry-level jobs, then the potential for continued education and skill advancement through established cyber programs at postsecondary institutions. Per Scholas opened in the National Capital Region in early 2014. The Per Scholas approach has been recognized as additive to existing efforts by leaders in business, government and education. Today’s panel is a joint effort to address regional cyber workforce demand.

“I partnered with Per Scholas because building an experienced pool of cyber security professionals is a regional challenge that requires a regional solution. As a national leader in developing collaborative partnerships to address workforce development needs, Northern Virginia Community College stands ready to lend its experience in this partnership to creating a sustainable pipeline of cyber security talent in the Greater Washington region.” Charles Britt, STEM Coordinator, Northern Virginia Community College.

Following today’s panel, Per Scholas will convene the task force to begin building a blueprint for the cyber security workforce. Those interested in contributing ideas, jobs, data, funding and leadership may contact Bridgette Gray at bgray@perscholas.org. A special thank you to the advisory board members Barbara Ebel, Charles Britt, Ed Glabus and Jason Green, who made today possible.

The Urban Development Center is featured in WIRED Magazine “Urban Onshoring: The Movement to Bring Tech Jobs back to the U.S.” stating “The Urban Development Center lends this whole urban on-shoring concept some serious street cred, primarily because of a man named Keith Klain.”

Per Scholas

The Per Scholas philosophy is simple. We believe that one of the most effective solutions to poverty and long-term unemployment in the nation’s lowest-income communities is access to good jobs, along with the ability to succeed in them. We know that many of today’s most promising career opportunities are in the technology sector. Since 1998, Per Scholas has enrolled more than 4,500 unemployed and low-income adults in free IT job training courses. On average, more than 85% of Per Scholas students graduate and among graduates, every 3 out of 4 find jobs.

Doran Jones

Doran Jones, a technology services firm that specializes in software engineering and testing, is the private-sector partner on the software testing job creation initiative with Per Scholas. Founded in 2010 and based in New York, Doran Jones’ clients include Fortune 100 banking and financial services firms. Managed by a world class executive team with extensive experience in all aspects of software development and testing, they are backed by a board with a strong track record in financial services and community investment. Doran Jones COO is Keith Klain, a longstanding Per Scholas supporter, the creator of STEP and the UDC concept, and Per Scholas’ 2014 Person of the Year.

Software Testing course

In August 2013, Per Scholas launched the Software Testing course (formally known as STEP) —an 8-week training that prepares graduates to fill entry-level software testing roles. Per Scholas developed this program in response to the recent global trend of reshoring IT jobs that were initially established and developed overseas. Software testing is projected to expand to a $40 billion global industry by 2020, requiring thousands of new workers to meet the demand.

Delivered on-site in the Bronx, Software Testing is a lab-based training program that integrates field studies, industry experts, and the leading software testing tools. Software Testing was launched through partnerships with Barclays in addition to leaders from across the software testing industry, including Satisfice, QASymphony, UTest, Smartbear, Workroom Productions, DevelopSense, and the Association for Software Testing.

Urban Development Center (UDC)

During the early planning for the Software Testing course, Per Scholas was given the opportunity to bring hundreds of new IT jobs to its home in the South Bronx, one of the poorest Congressional District in the U.S., through the development of an Urban Development Center (UDC)—a software testing center modeled after the large successful testing firms located overseas. The UDC is an innovative partnership that brings together software consulting company Doran Jones, as operator of the center, and Per Scholas as the training provider. Doran Jones will provide software testing services for multiple clients, employing 150 Per Scholas Software Testing graduates within 18 months of opening the UDC doors. New hires will have a starting wage of at least $35,000 with benefits and have accelerated opportunities for advancement. To read more about this innovative project, see here.

Impact in the Bronx

Together, these initiatives will bring an estimated 150 new jobs and more than $5 million in additional wages to the Bronx, while at the same time meeting local business needs, creating domestic jobs, and developing access to middle class opportunities and community development in low income communities. We believe that the economic development impact of the UDC has the potential to spur additional growth in the Bronx, creating a Bronx Technology Corridor.

UDC Timeline

• Fall 2014 construction begins; Per Scholas continues Software Testing course to ready individuals for operations to begin. Interested applicants can apply for the course here.
• Summer 2015 UDC opens, Doran Jones begins operations with 50 testers
• Over the next 12 months onward, operations will build to 150 jobs in all

On Tuesday, July 22, President Obama signed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act into law – with broad bipartisan support. In conjunction, Vice President Biden released his report on addressing unemployment and the skills gap through effective, employer-driven job training.

Per Scholas was cited by Vice President Joe Biden as an example of a program providing successful advancements in accelerated training for IT skills. In the report, released on July 21, Ready to Work: Job Driven Training and American Opportunity, Biden recognized Per Scholas as having been “successful at providing entry-level skills that put people on the first rung of the career ladder.”

The Vice President’s just-released report recognizes the importance of nonprofit training providers in job-driven workforce development. I am honored that Per Scholas is cited on page 75 of the report as an example of “exciting advances in accelerated training.”

It is deeply encouraging that Per Scholas is gaining recognition from so many diverse leaders and stakeholders. Thank you for your support in helping us grow our training capacity nationally and connect even more job seekers to career path opportunities in IT.

What began as an invitation for a student story quickly turned into more than Tiffany Lewin ever thought possible: being interviewed by Chelsea Clinton in front of 1,000 people, the whole Clinton family included. Queue the goose-bumps–and not just Tiffany’s. Everybody at Per Scholas, too. Her first time flying, Tiffany took off for Denver along with Per Scholas Executive Director of New York, Angie Kamath, and took the stage the second day of the meeting.

Tiffany contributed one-of-a-kind insight to the elite panel where she was joined by a CEO of a global company, a President of a college, a U.S. Secretary, and a founder of a local nonprofit. She was the sole representative on the stage speaking from a lens that always doesn’t get the spotlight: a young adult who was hungry for an opportunity and guidance. Tiffany came to Per Scholas at the age of 19 with no work experience, no income, no pathway to higher-ed and no outside guidance to change her path. She graduated from the Per Scholas IT training and by 20 landed her first job ever as a Hardware and Systems Analyst at New York-Presbyterian. Now, nearly three years later, she’s moved up in her responsibilities and now manages others. Her voice on that stage was all the more important because she also represents a population that makes up only 5% of the tech industry – a minority woman. We have a lot to learn from her.

Following her stage time with Chelsea, Tiffany has been on the ride of her life.

Per Scholas hosted its first of what will be a series of Women in Tech events June 24 in NYC hosted by corporate partner PIMCO. Sixty professionals and graduates from the IT industry gathered. Why? To get more women in tech. Specifically women of color who represent less than 10% of the IT workforce. Per Scholas has committed to a gender equal student body by 2016.

Here are some stats on what we are trying to change:

Today

• Women are earning less than 20% of computer and information science degrees
• Women comprise less than 30% of tech workforce, and women of color comprise less than 10% of the tech workforce
• Women leave the private sector tech workforce at twice the rate of their male peers

Good news – we can change this

• Carnegie Mellon went from less than 30% female CS majors in 2012 to 40% female CS majors in 2014
• In 2013, 60% of new tech positions were filled by women
• Companies like Google, LinkedIn, Yahoo and others agree that lack of diversity in tech is a problem and are committed to working toward solutions
• And of course, we are actively working to change this at Per Scholas

Here’s what we’re doing at Per Scholas

• Free training and job placement for entry-level and mid-level IT occupations, both co-ed and women’s only classes
• Graduated 146 women since 2012
• More than half are currently employed making average of $16.36 per hour
• 89% of women graduates were women of color
• Increased women student enrollment from 20% to 30%, and are planning to enroll 50% by 2016
• Semi-annual networking events
• Mentoring program to directly address the confidence gap
• A new advisory council to help us meet our goals (enrollment, awareness, employment, and hosting additional events) in partnership with the New York Women’s Foundation
• Endless inspiring success stories

How you can help

• Keep attending these events or host one of your own in NYC, D.C., Cincinnati, and Columbus – form a community
• Become a mentor
• Join our new advisory council
• Connect us to other community organizations so we may serve more women
• Contact Sara Barnaby to sign up and learn more

Our graduates and industry volunteers are an inspiration to making sure we meet our goals to empower many more women. We hope you will join us. Thanks to PIMCO for joining our effort as well as our anchor supporters New York Women’s Foundation, Fifth & Pacific Foundation, and SAP.

IT job training nonprofit Per Scholas attends Clinton Global Initiative America with commitment to reshore up to 500 software testing jobs with corporate partner Doran Jones.

Media Contact: Jessicah White, (785) 691-6987 / jwhite@perscholas.org

WHAT: Per Scholas, a New York-based national nonprofit that provides free IT job training and job placement to unemployed adults, makes a CGI Commitment to Action in partnership with New York-based IT consulting firm Doran Jones to immediately reshore 150 software testing jobs to the South Bronx and replicate model to additional cities across U.S. resulting in up to 200 jobs reshored in each city.

Per Scholas Executive Director Angie Kamath will attend CGI America June 23-25 with other national leaders to discuss its solution and others toward economic recovery in the United States. CGI Commitments to Action are new, specific, and measurable initiatives undertaken by CGI America commitment makers, leaders from the business, foundation, NGO, and government sectors, to make a positive impact.

At CGI America on June 24, Per Scholas graduate Tiffany Lewin, 22, will speak on a panel moderated by Chelsea Clinton to share her experience as a young adult who bridged the opportunity gap through the job training provided by Per Scholas. Ms. Lewin will be joined on the panel by PTECH Founding Principal Rashid Davis, Siemens Corporation President and CEO Eric Spiegel, and Miami Dade College President Eduardo Padron to discuss youth employment solutions in America.

WHO: Angie Kamath, Per Scholas Executive Director; Keith Klain, Doran Jones CEO of Testing; Tiffany Lewin, Per Scholas graduate and New York-Presbyterian Systems and Hardware Analyst.

WHEN: Monday, June 23 through Wednesday, June 25, 2014

About Per Scholas

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 4,500 un- and underemployed adults (18+ years old) have enrolled in its job training programs and more than 3,500 graduates have found jobs. Per Scholas is expanding the IT-Ready Network in partnership with the Creating IT Futures Foundation to bring free IT training opportunities to several other U.S. cities. IT-Ready sites operate in New York City, Cincinnati and Columbus, OH; Minneapolis, MN and the National Capital region. The Social Impact Exchange named Per Scholas one of the top 100 nonprofits creating proven social impact in the U.S. The White House in its 2014 report recognized Per Scholas for being particularly impactful serving the long-term unemployed. For more information, visit perscholas.org, review the fact sheet, Twitter @PerScholas and Facebook at facebook.com/PerScholas?_rdr.

About Doran Jones

Founded in 2010 and based in New York, Doran Jones is a technology services firm that specializes in software engineering and testing consulting and outsourcing. Its clients include Fortune 100 banking and financial services firms across the continental United States. Managed by a world class executive team with extensive experience in all aspects of software development and testing, they are backed by a board with a strong track record in financial services and community investment.

Website: www.doranjones.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/DoranJonesInc

About the Clinton Global Initiative America The Clinton Global Initiative America (CGI America), a program of the Clinton Global Initiative, addresses economic recovery in the United States. Established in June 2011 by President Bill Clinton, CGI America brings together leaders in business, government, and civil society to generate and implement commitments to create jobs, stimulate economic growth, foster innovation, and support workforce development in the United States. Since its first meeting, CGI America participants have made over 300 commitments valued at more than $15 billion when fully funded and implemented. To learn more, visit cgiamerica.org.

Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), an initiative of the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, convenes global leaders year-round and at its Annual Meeting to create and implement solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. CGI also convenes CGI University, which brings together undergraduate and graduate students to address pressing challenges in their communities and around the world. To date, members of the CGI community have made more than 2,800 Commitments to Action, which are already improving the lives of more than 430 million people in over 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued at $103 billion. For more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.