National Nonprofit to Train 4,000 Learners in Tech Skills for High-Growth Careers in 2022 

BRONX, N.Y. (January 28, 2022) — Per Scholas’ annual fundraising campaign, The Right Career Changes Everything, raised more than $4 million in 2021, in large part thanks to a generous match contribution from individuals at Jane Street as well as gifts from 1,200 supporters nationwide. A good job can pay the rent and put food on the table, but the right career charts the path to a thriving wage. Funds contributed to the campaign supported the launch of Per Scholas’ Career Access Fund. 

The national nonprofit is committed to train 4,000 learners nationwide in tech skills and connect them with high-growth careers in technology in the year ahead. Per Scholas’ Career Access Fund will provide learners with everything they need to participate and succeed in the organization’s tuition-free tech training, including laptops, WiFi, textbooks, learning kits, lab supplies, certification exam costs, learner support services, and more. 

“Per Scholas has never charged our learners a single dollar to participate in our life-changing tech training, and thanks to the generosity of individuals and partners alike, we never will,” said Plinio Ayala, President and CEO of Per Scholas. “We’re incredibly passionate about removing barriers, closing the equity gap, and increasing opportunity for thousands of future technologists. Technology remains one of our nation’s highest growth sectors, and by skilling dedicated individuals, together we can diversify our nation’s tech workforce.” 

In November 2021, 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. 

To learn more about Per Scholas and to make a donation to advance economic equity, please visit www.PerScholas.org/Donate. 

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

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Per Scholas Greater Boston alumni, Ana Rodriguez, was featured in Insider‘s article showcasing Amazon Web Services (AWS) and how they will train 29 million individuals to be cloud experts.  Per Scholas currently trains individuals to be AWS certified with tuition-free training, just as Ana accomplished.

Ana started the AWS re/Start training and quickly learned it would be challenging, but worth it. “It was very fast-paced for five months, and in five months we had to prepare for the AWS test, which is not an entry-level certification,” she noted.

We are excited to continue to offer our AWS re/Start course to train individuals to be certified cloud practitioners.

TEKsystem’s December issue of their publication Version Next, Now featured Per Scholas’s Executive Vice President of Social Ventures Damien Howard and his powerful commentary making the business case for diversity, he positioned Per Scholas as a go-to resource for building diverse talent pipelines.  “The pandemic has illustrated just how essential inclusion and diversity (I&D) are, and if we don’t continue to focus and call for action in this critical area, we’ll never have an equitable recovery,” Damien stated.

Read the full publication here to learn more about real-world insights and expert perspectives on breakthroughs in technology that are impacting business.

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

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

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

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

There are numerous ways to partner with Per Scholas to impact the professional and personal development of our learners and graduates. Corporations can volunteer by participating in resume reviews, industry discussions, and mock interviews. This month, Per Scholas proudly participated in Capgemini’s Impact Together Week, a week of volunteer events for various organizations. With Per Scholas, they held ten volunteer sessions within four days that included mock interviews and ‘Ask Me Anything’ events for our learners and graduates to gain industry knowledge.  

In these events, Capgemini staff paired up with Per Scholas learners and graduates to share their industry knowledge with these future technologists. Among the employee volunteers were several Per Scholas alumni who had secured roles at Capgemini following graduation, who offered unique insights into life in the tech industry following their experience in Per Scholas’ training program.  This week-long volunteer opportunity provided Per Scholas with over 2,000 volunteer hours – a tremendous influence for our learners. 

We encourage all of our partners to volunteer their time with our learners and impact their professional development throughout their training at Per Scholas.  If you are interested in a volunteer opportunity, either for your company or as an individual, please contact CiCi Flanagan at cflanagan@perscholas.org.

Per Scholas has been named as one of the 2021 Bank of America Neighborhood Builders® awardees for their work in the Columbus community addressing these issues. As a Neighborhood Builder, each organization receives a $200,000 grant over two years; comprehensive leadership training for the executive director and an emerging leader on topics ranging from increasing financial sustainability, human capital management, and strategic storytelling; joins a network of peer organizations across the U.S.; and gets the opportunity to access capital to expand their impact. The program continues to be the nation’s largest investment in nonprofit leadership development. 

“As communities continue to recover and navigate a changing landscape, nonprofits are still experiencing significant demands and are in need of resources to help meet critical local needs like economic mobility and workforce development,” said Kelly D’Ambrosia, President, Bank of America Columbus. “Per Scholas and National Church Residences Foundation are helping bridge important gaps for individuals and families to help them chart a path toward economic opportunity and stability. Programs like Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders help these organizations grow sustainably and strategically for greater positive impact in the community.”

Per Scholas believes that a thriving workforce starts with equitable access to education. With this mission in mind, Per Scholas offers training for adult job seekers who have a passion and drive to enter the technology workforce. “With this grant, Per Scholas will form and operate the Tech Women of Color Alliance to increase the number of women of color who are trained and prepared to enter the tech industry,” said Noah Mitchell, Managing Director, Columbus. “Per Scholas is well-positioned to deliver skills women need to return to the workforce after COVID, in not just living wage jobs, but in thriving wage career pathways.”  Noah was recently featured in a story on WBNS with a focus on Per Scholas Columbus and what this award will do for the Columbus community.   

Since 2004, Bank of America has invested over $280 million in 50 communities through Neighborhood Builders, partnering with more than 1,400 nonprofits and helping more than 2,800 nonprofit leaders strengthen their leadership skills. Here in Columbus, seven nonprofits have been selected as a Neighborhood Builder, with the bank investing $1.4 million dollars into these local organizations through the program since 2018. 

The invitation-only program is highly competitive, and leading members of the community participated in a collaborative selection process to identify this year’s awardees. Neighborhood Builders is just one example of how Bank of America deploys capital in communities, builds cross-sector partnerships, and promotes socioeconomic progress as part of its approach to responsible growth.

New York, N.Y. (October 21, 2021) – This afternoon, leaders from government, corporate America, and New York-based nonprofits came together to celebrate an expanded effort to train more New Yorkers for thriving careers in technology. Through an innovative Satellite Model leveraging on-site streaming technology, potential new learners will be able to participate in a variety of training courses in their home boroughs of Queens and Staten Island, led by nationally-recognized Per Scholas from their Bronx and Brooklyn Campuses. 

Per Scholas anticipates training more than 1,000 New Yorkers in 2022 by leveraging this approach, effectively removing geography and transportation as barriers to individuals interested in pursuing technology training and transitioning into tech careers. Training courses will continue to be offered at Per Scholas’s Bronx and Brooklyn Campuses.

“The explosive growth of the innovation sector in Brooklyn is one of the overlooked stories of the past decade – and it was thanks in part to strategic investments and public-private partnerships that prepared a pipeline of talent for emerging industries. Now, as we rebuild from a devastating pandemic, we must double down on these investments and ensure the benefits of our tech boom are distributed equitably. The new Per Scholas Satellite Learning Model will broaden opportunity to underserved communities throughout the five boroughs, at a time when we need it most. I look forward to building on this innovative new initiative to ensure that we are diversifying the talent in our tech sector and preparing New Yorkers for the jobs of the 21st century,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.

The intimate event was streamed from Per Scholas’s Brooklyn Campus, which was recently expanded through the generous support of champion partner Barclays, and featured 19 learners – 10 in Brooklyn and nine in Queens – participating in an IT Support course that commenced last week. 

“Barclays is incredibly proud to support Per Scholas’s efforts to train and prepare more New Yorkers for careers in technology,” said Richard Haworth, Americas CEO, Barclays. “Since 2012, we have partnered with Per Scholas in its mission to create pathways to upwardly mobile careers through financial support, job placement opportunities, and colleague volunteering. We are thrilled to further the impact of Per Scholas’s programming through this expansion.”

Per Scholas is teaming up with Commonpoint Queens and with the JCC of Staten Island as Satellite partners in order to offer these trainings in Queens and Staten Island respectively. Commonpoint Queens will host the course at its Elmhurst Employment Hub and JCC of Staten Island at its Bernikow Headquarters. Per Scholas will provide an Instructional Assistant to be present in satellite classrooms in order to support learners in real-time.

“One of the big keys in building back a more resilient New York City is strategic partnerships and working together,” said Danielle Ellman, CEO of Commonpoint Queens. “We are incredibly excited to work together to take the expertise and rich programming offered by Per Scholas and present it to our community, ensuring that we can train future professionals in emerging fields so that they don’t get left behind.”

JCC of Staten Island CEO Orit Lender said, “We are so thrilled to be partnering with Per Scholas on this initiative, which will launch our Career Connections programming. Working with Per Scholas, we will help bridge the gap for those in our borough looking for tech jobs and create a stronger future for Staten Island. By linking career training to our already robust social services, we will be able to accommodate Staten Islanders with a wide variety of needs and help them get good-paying jobs in the tech sector. I would like to thank Borough President Oddo, the Chamber of Commerce, The Staten Island Foundation, and all of our community partners for their crucial work in creating this partnership.”

According to a recent report from the Center for an Urban Future, nearly one-in-five of all new job postings in New York City during the pandemic were in technology occupations. Demand for tech jobs across the city was more than triple that of marketing and almost five times higher than demand for hospitality or education. As reported last month, New York City has the second-highest average tech salaries in the nation and experienced a double-digit increase, despite the economic impact of COVID-19. 

Over the course of the pandemic, Per Scholas has trained approximately 850 New Yorkers in a virtual setting in a variety of technology tracks including IT Support, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, AWS re/Start, and more. On average, Per Scholas New York graduates earn four times their pre-training wage in their first job after Per Scholas. 

“By launching our Satellite Model here in New York, Per Scholas continues to expand our impact to train even more New Yorkers for thriving careers in tech. This is how we’re helping to grow back stronger and fuel an equitable recovery here in New York City’s tech sector,” said  Plinio Ayala, Per Scholas President and CEO.  “With its launch, we unlock more potential for the future of Per Scholas locally and will connect more individuals previously underrepresented in tech to careers in a thriving industry. As we learn more based on data and outcomes, we’ll evaluate and adjust this new delivery model, continuing to remove barriers to our nation’s future technologists.” 

Initial support for Per Scholas’s Satellite Model has been generously provided by Amazon and The Tiger Foundation as well as The Altman Foundation, The Aronson Family Foundation, The Clark Foundation, PDT Partners, and The Staten Island Foundation.

“As a company, we’ve made upskilling and workforce development a priority here, in New York City, and nationally, so partnering with Per Scholas is a natural fit for Amazon,” said Carley Graham Garcia, Amazon’s New York City Head of External Affairs. “By expanding educational and job training opportunities in Staten Island, this initiative will help more of our neighbors pursue promising careers, while simultaneously building a talent pipeline and attracting greater economic investment to the borough. We thank the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce and Borough President James Oddo for all their work to make this expansion possible.”

Charles Buice, President of Tiger Foundation, said, “As a supporter of Per Scholas since 1998, Tiger Foundation is thrilled to see Per Scholas expanding its work to help New Yorkers across the city develop skills and connect to jobs with opportunities for growth and advancement. And we are even more excited that they are doing so in close collaboration with other community-based organizations. The ambitious growth that Per Scholas is undertaking will help bring opportunity and crucial supports to many individuals and families and will build needed capacity across the city’s nonprofits and neighborhoods to support careers in technology.” 

For more information, and to learn about upcoming Per Scholas courses offered in New York, please visit PerScholas.org/NewYork.

Editor’s Note: High-resolution photos from today’s celebration are available upon request. Please contact Brad Angevine at bangevine@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 14,000 individuals in tech skills, building bridges to careers in technology. To learn more, visit PerScholas.org.

An endorsed talent development partner for OneTen, Per Scholas’s commitment will help the coalition reach its goal of training and creating jobs for one million Black Americans

New York, N.Y. (October 7, 2021) – For more than 25 years, Per Scholas has advanced economic equity through in-demand technology training, and this week, the nonprofit announced its plan to train tens of thousands of Black learners over the next ten years in support of OneTen – a coalition of leading corporate executives, talent developers, and community leaders who are committed to training, hiring, and advancing Black talent for family-sustaining career opportunities.

The training commitment is the latest move by Per Scholas to prepare BIPOC workers for high-growth careers in technology. In June, OneTen announced Per Scholas as an endorsed talent developer to advance its mission of expanding career pathways for one million Black Americans over the next decade.

“Per Scholas has always understood the value of training individuals for high-growth careers where they can thrive and build a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities – which is why we’re doing everything possible to expand and scale our training programs to underrepresented talent across the U.S.,” said Plinio Ayala, President, and CEO of Per Scholas. “As part of our work, we could not be more proud to stand alongside OneTen as we commit to training one in every 10 Black Americans that OneTen will reach for life-changing careers in technology – playing a significant role in what is hopefully the end of the lingering opportunity gap in America.”

In addition to this latest training commitment, Per Scholas also presented the Diverse by Design North Star Awards – which celebrates and honors leaders who are transforming diversity in the technology sector and beyond. The inaugural award recipients include:

• Jay Alvather, President of TEKsystems: Building on 20 years of service to TEKsystems, Alvather was appointed President of the global provider of technology, business, and talent solutions in 2015. Inclusion and diversity have always been core to his work, and he has been integral in making a more streamlined, direct connection between in-demand employment opportunities and diverse talent. TEKsystems is pleased to continue their support of Per Scholas’s national expansion plans in 2022 and beyond.
• Dalila Wilson-Scott, EVP and Chief Diversity Officer for Comcast Corporation, and President of the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation: Wilson-Scott leads all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives and philanthropic strategy for the global corporation, including the company’s $100 million dollar commitment to advancing social justice and equality in today’s workforce. Comcast NBCUniversal has also made a tremendous investment in Per Scholas, enabling the nonprofit to grow its training and reach more aspiring technologists amid the coronavirus pandemic.
• Maurice Jones, CEO of OneTen: Jones is on a mission to help OneTen close the opportunity gap for Black talent in America, partnering with corporate leaders from all sectors and industries to upskill, hire, and promote one million Black Americans into family-sustaining jobs. This decade-long commitment will be transformational to our nation and directly beneficial to the communities where we live, work, and play.

“It was a tremendous honor to present our inaugural Diverse by Design North Star Awards to Jay, Dalila, and Maurice earlier this week,” said Damien Howard, Executive Vice President of Social Ventures at Per Scholas and Co-Founder of Diverse by Design. “Much like the North Star – a collection of the brightest and most brilliant stars in the night sky – these leaders and their organizations serve as a beacon. Their commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are bright, awe-inspiring, and inspirational.”

Per Scholas will train more than 3,000 learners this year – 90% of whom are Black and brown talent – remotely and across 17 campuses. On average, 85% of learners accepted into Per Scholas will go on to graduate, 80% of graduates will secure employment at an average wage of at least $20 an hour, and 75% will retain employment beyond one year in their field. Historically, alumni will also make roughly four times more in their first job after graduation than their pre-training wage.

For more information, please visit PerScholas.org and OneTen.org.

Editor’s Note: High-resolution photos of the Diverse by Design North Star Award presentation are available upon request. Please contact Sara Luciano at (332) 895-0051 or by email at sLuciano@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 14,000 individuals in tech skills, building bridges to careers in technology. To learn more, visit PerScholas.org.

About Diverse by Design

Diverse by Design, powered by Per Scholas and ITSMF, promotes solutions-driven conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion within tech, produces meaningful content that empowers c-suite leaders to make both valuable and socially impactful business decisions and provides access to sophisticated customized training and talent sourcing solutions to meet companies’ talent demands while transforming the diversity landscape of their organizations. To learn more, visit diversebydesign.org.

About OneTen

OneTen is a coalition of leading chief executives and their companies who are coming together to upskill, hire and promote one million Black Americans over the next 10 years who do not yet have a four-year degree into family-sustaining jobs with opportunities for advancement. We connect employers with talent partners, leading nonprofits, and other skill-credentialing organizations that support the development of diverse talent. By creating more equitable and inclusive workforces, we believe we can reach our full potential as a nation of united citizens. Join us at OneTen.org.

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

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

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

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