Per Scholas’ collaboration with AWS and our ability to offer AWS re/Start, a high-quality cloud computing curriculum, is incredibly powerful. Cloud computing continues to be one of the fastest-growing areas of tech, and we’re proud of the role we’re playing to train diverse technologists in this in-demand skill set.

We started our cloud computing training by offering AWS re/Start at our Greater Boston campus in 2020. The pandemic forced us to quickly pivot what would’ve been an in-person course to be remote instead. AWS’s leadership and guidance as we modified the curriculum were essential. This shift to remote learning had a silver lining and enabled us to enroll learners in our inaugural cohort from our National Capital Region campus, too. 

Today, just two years later, Per Scholas is offering AWS re/Start training at 9 campuses nationwide, including at Per Scholas Dallas, Per Scholas Greater Boston, Per Scholas National Capital Region, and Per Scholas New York. We’re working to prepare nearly 400 future technologists in this in-demand skill set in 2022 alone! 

Earlier this month, Per Scholas Senior Vice President of Training Quality, Technology, and Innovation Eduardo Hernandez spoke at AWS IMAGINE: NONPROFIT alongside AWS re/Start Program Manager Seghen Simon about our training model. 

During the panel, Eduardo highlighted that since we began offering AWS re/Start, nearly 300 cloud computing technologists have graduated, and more than 90 percent earned the prestigious, highly-sought-after AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification. Half have attained jobs, and a third in specific cloud-computing roles at more than 55 companies nationwide.

Alongside 16 other organizations, Per Scholas Baltimore recently received a groundbreaking grant from the Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (OED) as part of the Train Up initiative. The initiative provides free job training for unemployed and underemployed Baltimore City residents impacted by COVID-19 and is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). It is 

Per Scholas Baltimore will enroll 45 Baltimore City residents participants annually in our cost-free tech training, ensure that at least 75 percent of our learners will complete training, and connect at least 80 percent of our graduates into family-sustaining careers paying a minimum of $15 per hour. All participants completing training will obtain at least one industry-recognized credential. 

In regard to Train Up, Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott stated, “I look forward to working closely with the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development as we increase access to opportunity, promote local job growth, support low-income households, benefit historically underinvested neighborhoods and create wealth in Black and Brown communities.”

As Per Scholas Baltimore prepares Baltimore City residents for careers in technology, a high-growth industry, we will also provide our learners with career coaching and business and professional development. Upcoming courses offered at our campus in Little Italy can be found here.  

“We are grateful for the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development’s investment in Per Scholas Baltimore, which will enable us to continue to serve Baltimore City residents with no-cost technical training,” stated Per Scholas Baltimore Managing Director Jessica Diaz Council. “We are actively trying to change the face of the tech workforce nationally, but also locally. If you are a company that serves the people of Baltimore, then you should be employing local talent. We’re committed to increasing access and creating opportunities for individuals who aspire to work in tech because we truly believe that the right career changes everything. The Train Up program will allow us to do just that.”

To learn more about the Train Up program from the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, click here. 

As it has been reported that there are more than 48,000 vacant tech jobs in North Carolina, Per Scholas North Carolina has partnered with NC Tech Paths and Wilkes Community College for one of the largest rural tech training initiatives in the country. This initiative is geared towards bringing tech training to the state’s rural communities in order to both increase the state’s tech talent pool and bring new tech jobs to rural areas.

With training first in Software Engineering and eventually IT Support, Per Scholas is set to train more than 2,500 learners over the next three years. The inaugural training in partnership with Wilkes Community College and NC Tech Paths will graduate in mid-May.

Read the full article on Per Scholas North Carolina’s partnership here. 

Franklin County Commissioners Invest $4.5 Million To Help Women of Color Join the Tech Sector

Columbus, OH – Franklin County was in the headlines last week when President Joe Biden touted local technology investments in his State of the Union speech. On Tuesday, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners committed to developing the county workforce to meet a growing demand for technology jobs, while placing equity at the forefront of their approach.

The Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a more than $4.5 million COVID-19 recovery grant to support the new Tech Women of Color workforce training initiative. This innovative partnership between the Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services and the nationally recognized tech training nonprofit Per Scholas will help train and place 200 low-income women of color on the path to self-sufficiency through good-paying jobs.

“When I was 23 coming out of the military with two young daughters, I had an IT background and credentials from the Navy, but I still couldn’t find a job. I was one of those women who just needed a chance,” Commissioner Erica C. Crawley said. “What we’re doing here isn’t a handout. It’s about helping people who are willing and ready to work. They just need a chance.”

While the economy has rebounded over the past year, job growth especially among women of color, has not kept pace with the overall rate. In January, the nationwide unemployment rates for Black women (5.8 percent) and LatinX women (4.9 percent) were higher than the overall unemployment rate for women. Employment disparities in the technology field predate the pandemic but are even more stark today. Nationwide, Black women only make up 3 percent of the technology workforce while LatinX women account for only 1 percent.

“This was never just going to be about meeting workforce demands. It’s about equitable access, equitable growth and equitable opportunity,” Commissioner John O’Grady said. “If Ohio’s going to become the ‘Silicon Heartland,’ we’re going to do it by giving people who’ve been overlooked and underrepresented in tech the fair shot they deserve.”

The Tech Women of Color initiative is a 15-week program that will offer technical skills training, executive mentoring, financial coaching, and more. Participants will receive paid internships and graduate with industry-recognized credentials – ready to compete for high-paying, in-demand technology jobs.

“The best social service is a good-paying job, but a job alone isn’t going to move you up the economic ladder if the ground beneath can’t support it,” Commissioner Kevin L. Boyce said.  “We’re providing ongoing support so women can finish the program on stable ground and ready to begin that climb.”

In addition to employment placement and retention services, graduates will receive ongoing supportive services to help navigate the “benefits cliff,” which occurs when a small increase in earnings leads to loss of public assistance benefits like food assistance or Publicly Funded Child Care.

“We can’t ask a mom to embark on new career path and then say, ‘but by the way, you won’t be able to drop your baby off at child care.’ This program can’t work if that’s a choice she has to make,” Deputy County Administrator Joy Bivens said. “We’re facing the reality of the benefits cliff and saying, ‘we’re going to walk this path with you and make sure you have the tools to succeed.’”

The initiative is funded with American Rescue Plan Act dollars and will run for two years, through August of 2024.

“Since launching our evidence-based technology training here in Columbus 10 years ago, Per Scholas Columbus has trained and prepared more than 800 learners for in-demand technology jobs across our region. Increasing equity and closing the opportunity gap is core to our work, and I’m looking forward to affecting change right here in Franklin County,” said Noah Mitchell, Managing Director of Per Scholas Columbus. “We are incredibly grateful to the Franklin County Board of Commissioners for this transformational investment and are looking forward to teaming up with the Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services to bring this intentional Tech Women of Color training to life.”

Women who are interested in learning more can visit www.PerScholas.org/Columbus.

###

The Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services provides timely public assistance benefits and builds community partnership through inclusion, responsiveness and innovation. Learn more at https://jfs.franklincountyohio.gov and follow FCDJFS on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

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 cities, Per Scholas has trained more than 16,000 individuals in tech skills, building bridges to careers in technology. To learn more, visit PerScholas.org.

In a recent interview with Hired, Per Scholas Executive Vice President of Social Ventures Damien Howard discussed Per Scholas and our partnership with Hired.  In the Q&A-styled conversation, Damien discussed how this partnership allows our graduates to set up a profile with Hired and help in their career search. “Once a class of Per Scholas graduates is ready to become job seekers, they are referred to Hired to set up a free profile and display their new, marketable, in-demand skills through Hired assessments or connecting social accounts to shine a light on their new skills.”

Such a partnership with Hired, the largest AI-driven marketplace matching ambitious tech and sales talent with the world’s most innovative companies, will connect many of our graduates with companies that could lead to a tech job to launch their IT careers.

Read the full interview and feature here.

Per Scholas Welcomes New Regional Advisory Board Members

Leaders from Technology, Professional Services, E-Commerce, 

Contribute to Transform America’s Tech Workforce

BRONX, N.Y. (February 23, 2021) – Today, leading national tech training nonprofit advancing economic equity Per Scholas welcomed nine new Advisory Board Members in three cities across the U.S. New Advisory Board Members include:

Atlanta, Georgia

• Winford Williams, AVP Technology, Insurance, LexisNexis Risk Solutions

“I’m delighted to welcome Winford to our Per Scholas Atlanta Advisory Board. He joins a passionate and committed group of leaders working diligently to increase opportunity for future technologists right here at home,” said Sherri Sims, Per Scholas Atlanta Managing Director. 

National Capital Region

• Abenaa Addei, Account Director, Google
• Keith Barclay, Worldwide IGF Ecosystems Operation Leader, IBM
• Marialina Bello, Managing Architect, Microsoft
• Felicia Jones, Program Director, designDATA
• Heidi Richards, Managing Director, EY

Per Scholas National Capital Region Managing Director Diane Duff reflected, “Greater Washington, which stretches across Washington, D.C. and outward to suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia – continues to be recognized as one of the most prominent tech hubs on the East Coast, and it’s still growing. I’m very grateful to Abenaa, Keith, Lina, Felicia, and Heidi for contributing their time and talent to support Per Scholas’s mission to increase access and opportunity for technologists across our region.” 

New York, New York

• Erez Barkai, Director of Engineering, Wayfair
• George Okrah, Senior Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion, Lazard
• Silva Stewart, Digital Strategy Consultant, Accenture

“Our New York Advisory Board Members play a crucial role in supporting our strategy and growth in New York City,” said Abe Mendez, Per Scholas New York Managing Director. “I’m excited to welcome Erez, George, and Silva to the Per Scholas’s New York Advisory Board and thank them for their commitment to strengthen and diversify the tech sector.” 

To learn more about Per Scholas’s work, our National Board, and regional Advisory Boards, visit PerScholas.org. 

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 cities, Per Scholas has trained more than 15,000 individuals in tech skills, building bridges to careers in technology. To learn more, visit PerScholas.org.

# # #

The new collaboration will help prepare 1,500 diverse learners for high-demand tech careers

New York, N.Y. (February 10, 2022) – Today, national skills training nonprofit Per Scholas announced it will collaborate with Microsoft to expand training opportunities for diverse learners across the U.S. The organizations will provide free technology training, resources, and guidance to 1,500 individuals – in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, and other cities – with the goal of helping participants fully prepare for in-demand jobs in cloud computing.

As businesses across the country look to build their digital presence and keep up with changing market needs, the demand for skilled cloud computing professionals continues to rise. New reports suggest that 90 percent of enterprises expect cloud usage to exceed prior plans due to COVID-19, with 92 percent of enterprises now utilizing a multi-cloud strategy. To keep up with these demands, Per Scholas will develop and pilot a new Microsoft Azure training curriculum that provides learners – particularly women and BIPOC individuals who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID – with the opportunity to learn high-demand cloud skills free of charge, leveling the playing field for workers across the country.

“Per Scholas has always understood the value of training individuals for high-growth careers, and our work would not be possible without the support of incredible organizations like Microsoft,” said Caitlyn Brazill, Chief Development Officer at Per Scholas. “Through Microsoft’s skills initiative, we’ll have the opportunity to unlock even more opportunities for individuals who deserve the opportunity to move into life-changing careers, while also supporting employers who are in dire need of qualified cloud talent.”

As part of the collaboration, Per Scholas aims to achieve an 80 percent job attainment rate for its graduates, in part through access to Microsoft’s Career Connector platform, which matches employers in need of tech workers with capable graduate talent, as well as utilizing Per Scholas’s career services and hiring network. Nationally, four in five Per Scholas graduates launch their tech careers within 12 months of graduation, earning on average four times their pre-training wages.

“Per Scholas is holistic, from business development to the Learner Support Team – the team that supports your finances, job coaching, interviewing, all of it. Per Scholas is a one-stop-shop for somebody who wants to make a change,” said Tricia Erby, a 2021 Per Scholas graduate from Atlanta, who is now working as an associate customer service analyst at Sage Software.

“Per Scholas is incredibly proud to expand our work with Microsoft to develop an inclusive, resourceful, and job-ready workforce across U.S. cities, including right here in Atlanta,” said Sherri Sims, Managing Director of Per Scholas Atlanta. “We’ve already witnessed the strong impact that Per Scholas’s training program had in Seattle with our inaugural cohort this summer, and we’re looking forward to continuing this work by empowering diverse learners nationally with life-changing education that will move them into high-growth careers.”

“We need to expand career and economic advancement opportunities for those who have been systematically underserved,” said Naria Santa Lucia, Microsoft General Manager for Digital Inclusion and U.S. Community Engagement. “That’s why we’re collaborating with organizations including Per Scholas to broaden access to computer science education nationwide.”

For more information, and to learn about upcoming Per Scholas courses offered in collaboration with Microsoft, please visit www.PerScholas.org/Microsoft. 

# # #

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 cities, Per Scholas has trained more than 15,000 individuals in tech skills, building bridges to careers in technology. To learn more, visit PerScholas.org.

Two murals have recently been completed at Per Scholas’s Bronx campus, adding a colorful and vibrant look to the learning space’s walls. The murals, which feature Per Scholas alumni rendered in different artistic styles, were completed separately by two local artists: Yazmeen Collazo and Alberto Rondon, who goes by DISTER.

The murals, funded by long-time Per Scholas partner, TEKsystems, are a creative endeavor to celebrate our learners and connect with our broader Bronx community, with an emphasis on women and diversity in tech. “We’re honored to support a lasting representation of the impact Per Scholas has had on learners in the Bronx and across the U.S.,” said Alice Zients, manager of corporate social responsibility, workforce development and foundation management at TEKsystems. “Our organizations share a similar purpose of creating opportunity through career success, and we look forward to transforming the lives of even more learners in the years to come.”  See this link for a look at how the murals were created.

DISTER’s mural features New York graduates Jadah Stone and Moja Chatman, and Dallas graduate Jordan Wofford. Yazmeen’s mural includes Pittsburgh graduate Ashwini Neelgund, New York graduate Fabiana Rodriguez-Mercado, Charlotte graduate LeClair Boone, and Chicago graduate Veronica Vergara.

In addition to their artistic accomplishments as street artists and muralists, DISTER and Yazmeen were selected from over 100 submissions who competed to paint the murals at our Bronx campus.  These two local artists were chosen as finalists and received a financial award for their paintings thanks to the generous support of TEKsystems. Their selection as winners of the Per Scholas Bronx campus mural contest was based on their artistic proposals and past commitments to engaging the community in public art projects and nonprofit engagements, their alignment with the mission and values of Per Scholas and TEKsystems, their inclusion of the personality of Per Scholas learners and graduates, and their integration of the tone and mood of the Bronx in their completed pieces.

DISTER is a New York City-based artist with roots in Graffiti spray painting, writing and dance. “[My style] is predominantly influenced by Graffiti,” DISTER explained. “By definition, true Graffiti has to be illegal. Words are important in how we describe things, especially when it comes to culture. So I’d say I am influenced by Graffiti style, but [the mural] is not necessarily a Graffiti piece.” In a bow to the Graffiti style, DISTER added a unique “South Bronx” tag to his mural, making a connection to the neighborhood in the Bronx where the Per Scholas Bronx campus is located.

As for his inspiration for the mural’s content, DISTER says he sought to inject color and human touch into the Bronx campus’s walls. “I specifically wanted to humanize the building,” he reflected. “It’s really easy to think of school as just a place, so why not highlight the people of that area to represent more of the actual human experience?”

Yazmeen, hailing from the Bronx herself, attributes her inspiration largely to nature and what she felt Per Scholas brought to the South Bronx neighborhood. 

“The original inspiration [for the mural] was the nature that is often lacking in urban neighborhoods,” Yazmeen recalled. “I included some leaves and branches, which to me symbolize growth, change, and how Per Scholas plays a part in that for so many of the underrepresented individuals in the tech industry. In this case, the four women who were featured are women of color, which is an underrepresented population when it comes to technology.”

“I was thinking about what Per Scholas represents, not only in the neighborhood but in the tech industry in general. As a nonprofit, it speaks to the students in the neighborhoods it trains as something free that’s offering all these opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise be presented to certain individuals in certain areas; so that was a big inspiration. I had to think about what would symbolize growth and change. The inclusion of pixels exploding out also adds motion, which speaks to me of Per Scholas providing motion and a career trajectory for its graduates.”  Also, images of birds flying and the rising sun reflect energy and the dawn of new horizons and opportunities for Per Scholas graduates.

Thanks to TEKsystems’s generosity and the hard work of our artists, the two murals were completed as of mid-January. Their bright colors and bold styles bring an exciting element to the Bronx campus, which will provide a warm welcome for our learners and returning staff when the Per Scholas flagship Bronx campus reopens to in-person learning early in 2022. 

Not surprisingly, the artists, too, were touched by their experience working with Per Scholas. “It was really great to collaborate with Per Scholas and to know that a program like this exists in the South Bronx.” DISTER said. “I have actually sent the program information to a few of my family who might be interested in attending!”  Which is exactly what we were hoping these murals would do, connecting Per Scholas more closely with the Bronx and its community.

Diverse by Design, powered by Per Scholas and ITSMF, continues to lead the way, helping  businesses create a workplace that promotes and implements diversity, equality, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) efforts.  This upcoming year, which started with our first event in January, with leadership from Per Scholas Greater Boston, Diverse by Design will keep the momentum going on for DEIB and what it means for businesses.

We kicked off the year with a Greater Boston regional event on January 25.  Mosaic, Not Melting Pot: Fostering True Belonging in the Workplace featured an esteemed panel of local DEIB leaders who explored what true belonging looks like and the relationship between belonging and workforce retention. Moderated by Ladi Olaoye, Diversity & Inclusion Consultant at Diversity@Workplace Consulting Group and President Emeritus of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Boston Professionals Chapter, panelists included Enna Jimenez, Business Transformation & Quality Leader, Senior Director, IDEMIA; Guy Pacitti, Global Leader of Inclusion and Diversity, Pegasystems; and Gene Suzuki, CIO, EverQuote. The event also featured remarks by Diverse by Design Co-Founder Ken Walker and Per Scholas Greater Boston Managing Director Robin Nadeau and an interactive networking opportunity for all guests. 

“Businesses must perform. In order to perform, we need different perspectives; we need diversity in our workforce for us to perform,” reflected Gene Suzuki. “We know the diversity in our organization is what makes us strong – that we can solve problems in ways others haven’t been able to solve.” 

Per Scholas is proud to celebrate the establishment of the Diverse by Design National Advisory Board, with Franklin Reed, Executive Director of Inclusion and Diversity at TEKsystems, presiding as Chair.  We know these national advisors will be instrumental in promoting solutions-driven conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion within tech; producing meaningful content that empowers C-suite leaders to make valuable and socially impactful business decisions; and providing access to sophisticated customized training and talent sourcing solutions to meet companies’ talent demands while transforming the diversity within their own companies. 

You can also expect to hear more from our Diverse by Design podcast as we launch Season Two later in the year. We will continue to share the stories of visionaries who are changing the diversity landscape of tech. To stay connected with Diverse by Design, subscribe to The Diverse by Design Download, featuring DEIB reflections, updates, and tips as you strive to create change within your organization. 

There were many moments and happenings in 2021 which built on Per Scholas’ mission, closing out with our End of Year fundraising campaign which raised more than $4 million to support learners. Per Scholas is proud to have enrolled nearly 3,000 individuals to our cost-free tech training to advance economic equity.  

The past year, we expanded across the nation and opened three new campuses in partnership with TEKsystems!  In February, Per Scholas launched a Full Stack Java Developer course in Pittsburgh, graduating 20 Java Developers in its inaugural cohort.  In May, we expanded our presence to the West Coast and successfully launched our first cohorts in Seattle and Phoenix, bringing our campus count to 17! Full-stack technology service provider TEKsystems fueled these customized training tracks, with initial cohorts also focused on Java Development.  In Phoenix, 19 graduates mastered specific technical skills employers seek in entry and mid-level Java Developers. Seattle also hosted 19 Java Developer graduates. 

We kicked off The Right Career Changes Everything, our End of Year fundraising campaign, to ensure that the right career is accessible to everyone. Shortly after we began our fundraising, Per Scholas was selected as a winner of the 2021 Holiday Impact Prize, presented by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and former New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, and supported by Focusing Philanthropy.  The award also opened up visibility for Per Scholas’ campaign for additional funding.  Donations received through the Holiday Impact Prize will support Per Scholas’s Career Access Fund, which provides learners with everything they need to participate in the tuition-free tech training including laptops, Wi-Fi, textbooks, learning kits, lab supplies, certification exam costs, learner support services, and more. 

In all, we raised more than $4 million in large thanks to a generous match contribution from individuals at Jane Street as well as gifts from 1,200 supporters nationwide. This remarkable result will go directly toward advancing economic equity for our learners.  

Overall, 2021 was a momentous year for Per Scholas with immense growth internally and with our campuses. For over 26 years, we have advanced economic equity through access to technology careers, and our growth and development in 2021 will propel us to continue to do so through 2022, where we plan to train 30 percent more learners and open at least three more campuses.