Per Scholas and the Information Technology Senior Management Forum, partnered with global financial leader JPMorgan Chase & Co. to pioneer an innovative approach to building diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

The opportunity to partner with JPMorgan Chase strengthens an important connection between industry leaders and diversity experts in the workforce. The firm has partnered alongside Per Scholas for more than twenty years. They became one of the first Signature partner’s when Per Scholas officially launched our Corporate Engagement program three years ago. This Signature status reflects the company’s commitment to deeply investing and cultivating diverse talent pipelines for their workforce. The partnership emphasizes the company’s commitment to hiring Per Scholas graduates, volunteering staff hours for mock interviews and mentorship opportunities, as well as event sponsorship and board participation. Per Scholas and ITSMF are thankful for the continued collaboration and look forward to engaging employers and future leaders across the country with the support of JPMorgan Chase.

Diverse workforces offer a competitive edge in the market. In fact, research shows that diverse companies are 35 percent more likely to outperform their counterparts, yet 97 percent of domestic senior leadership teams fail to reflect the demographic composition of the United States.

Earlier this year, Per Scholas and ITSMF launched Diverse by Design, which offers a new platform for the organizations to build collective momentum and reshape our nation’s workforce.

The first event leaders to engage in conversations about successful models that rethink hiring systems and retention practices. With JPMorgan Chase’s support, Diverse by Design announced the National Working Group to move conversations about making workplaces more inclusive, equitable, and diverse to action.

The National Working Group is comprised of Fortune 500 thought leaders and partners focused on developing systems for hiring and retaining diverse talent across a number of sectors. The Working Group is led by co-chairs Toacca Rutherford, Chief Development Officer for Consumer Business Banking and Auto IT, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Gene Waddy Chief Executive Officer, DIVERSANT and includes 11 other members. The inaugural Diverse by Design event offered the opportunity for JPMorgan Chase to reaffirm financial support and investment in Per Scholas across multiple sites.

The second Diverse by Design convening  took place on December 13 in our nation’s Capital. Only weeks following the presidential election, the convening explored the intersection of public policy and private sector diversity initiatives, driving action aimed at fostering more diverse and inclusive workplaces. The audience, composed of C-suite executives and workforce representatives from across the East Coast experienced a State of the Nation address by Chair Jenny Yang of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The event also featured a keynote conversation, panel discussions and ignite presentations. National Working Group chair Toacca Rutherford offered remarks on behalf of the Working Group, while Terrance Bowman, Vice President and Diversity Lead for Global Technology Recruiting, moderated an impassioned panel discussion between public and private sector representatives.

The firm’s most recent contribution to Diverse by Design reinforces JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s commitment to investing in conversations linked to diverse hiring, inclusion and retention practices.

To learn more about Diverse by Design please visit www.diversebydesign.org.

Check out past Monthly Impact Reports here.

Last April, Per Scholas launched a new Software Testing training course in Cincinnati in partnership with Ingage Partners and Thrive Impact Sourcing. The collaboration has succeeded by preparing individuals from the Greater Cincinnati region for open positions as quality assurance software testers. Thrive Impact Sourcing committed to hiring at least half of the graduates immediately upon course completion. After three courses, however, Thrive has hired over 80% of the graduates, demonstrating the quality of candidates and training the students receive at Per Scholas.

Last month, the graduation for the Software Testing course was featured on Fox 19, with a video segment that highlighted the students accomplishments. To this day, Thrive has hired 37 Per Scholas alum for positions as QA (Quality Assurance) Analysts in their firm.

The unprecedented partnership between Per Scholas and Thrive has opened the doors to a career in tech for many students. “I have nothing but hope and excitement about my future. Just three or four months ago I was expecting to be just above minimum wage…I work for a company that cares about my success and they pay for my training.” says Taj Crooms, Per Scholas ambassador. Fellow ambassador Angela says that becoming a software tester and working at Thrive has been an important change in her life. “I’m not dreading going to work everyday. I’m not frazzled, frustrated, or disappointed anymore.”

Since it’s creation, the partnership between Per Scholas and Thrive has peaked the interest of various media outlets and has had a demonstrable impact on the economy. Soapbox Media states “Thrive Impact Sourcing’s disruptive methods impact local employment rates” highlighting the unique “urban impact sourcing” model used between Thrive and Per Scholas to provide high-quality opportunities in low-employment, urban areas. “Thrive is fortunate to have mission-aligned, client partners who were early adopters of this disruptive business model,” says Kelly Dolan of Ingage Partners and Thrive.

The Software Testing course provides participants with industry-leading testing skills and techniques in a lab-based, instructor-led environment. In addition, they are given access to real-life projects and participate in field studies to learn alongside working professionals. Graduates are then given the opportunity to interview for full-time positions directly with Thrive Impact Sourcing and other corporate partners.

About Thrive:

Thrive Impact Sourcing exists to reshape the socioeconomic trajectory of an untapped talent pool  living in poverty by providing opportunities to launch a career in the field of IT. Thrive produces real business value for its’ clients by offering a local IT outsourcing solution from our Urban Outsourcing Center.  New Analysts are surrounded by on-going mentorship from senior IT professionals while engaged in software testing projects with a variety of clients. Using this model, we bring a competitive and competent pool of IT talent to the marketplace. Thrive is a local start-up pioneering an Impact Sourcing business model located in Cincinnati’s urban core. Impact Sourcing creates high quality job opportunities for an untapped talent pool in low-employment areas transforming lives and making businesses more efficient. Thrive concentrates on a proven approach to Quality Assurance to provide functional testing services, test management, and usability testing. Data Transformation services are also a part of Thrive’s offerings. On-going training, mentorship and life coaching sets these professionals and their families on a path to Thrive. For more information, please visit www.thrivecincinnati.com Or follow them on social media on Facebook.

Check out past Monthly Impact Reports here

On February 3, Per Scholas hosted the inaugural graduation ceremony for its rigorous 16-week cybersecurity training course powered by Barclays. The tuition-free course equips un-or underemployed adults with the knowledge and skills to fill a wide range of cybersecurity jobs.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that demand for cybersecurity jobs is expected to grow by 53 percent through 2018. Per Scholas’ course provides students with the intensive hands-on training, workplace exposure, career counseling and professional development needed to successfully pursue opportunities in the critical cybersecurity field.

“Per Scholas will continue to demonstrate the strong impact our students have on corporate success and local community growth.  It remains our collective charge to elevate diverse and domestic talent pipelines to become go-to resources for corporate investment. Our students and these graduates are the number one example of this success. Their future careers will remain evolving proof of the creative partnerships and leadership that made this possible,” said Plinio Ayala, president and CEO, Per Scholas.

Numerous members of the business and tech community joined the graduation ceremony including, Sameer Jain, CIO, Barclays Investment Bank; Harish Chittor, AVP, Barclays; Anthony Dipchan, windows server support, Barclays; Neil Parikh, co-founder and chief operating officer, Casper, and Shinelin Samuel, application development lead and software architect, Barclays.

“It was an honor to speak at Per Scholas’ inaugural cybersecurity graduation,” said Sameer Jain, CIO, Barclays. “Our colleagues have worked hard to develop a strong cybersecurity training program and I have no doubt that these 14 graduates will find success in such a crucial area of importance to the financial services industry.”

Barclays has hired four of the graduates to fill open cybersecurity positions in New York. Nicolio Sambrano, newly hired Barclays employee and valedictorian of the graduating class spoke meaningful words to graduation attendees: “This course was the first step for us. We are grateful for the opportunity Per Scholas gave us and for Barclays for taking a chance on us.

The graduating class of 14 young professionals was the first to take courses at Per Scholas’ new Brooklyn location. The facility was made possible by generous support of lead sponsor Barclays, as well as AT&T, The New York Community Trust, the Office of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Empire State Development, and individual contributors.

To learn more about Per Scholas’ cybersecurity course, click here.

Check out past Monthly Impact Reports here

October was Cybersecurity Month, and at Per Scholas, we’re proud to offer several cybersecurity training opportunities – including one we kicked off this fall.

Our newest Per Scholas site in Brooklyn is home to a 16-week cybersecurity training track, developed in close partnership with Barclays – which has committed to hiring 10 Per Scholas cybersecurity students for six-month paid internships upon graduation.

In 2015, there were more than 209,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs in the U.S., and more than one million around the world. By 2019, that number is projected to reach 6 million. Our collaboration with Barclays will enable Per Scholas students to gain real-world experience in the financial services cybersecurity after graduation that will prepare them for careers in this growing field.

The site in Brooklyn joins the National Capital Region as the second Per Scholas site to offer cybersecurity training. Just one year ago, we launched a partnership with cybersecurity giant Symantec when it invested $375,000 in cybersecurity training at our National Capital Region site. We became a Cyber Career Connection (S3C) partner to train military veterans for careers in cybersecurity.

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

Through this partnership, Per Scholas has trained seven veterans so far for the National Capital Region’s growing cybersecurity industry.

Tech Training Nonprofit’s Growth Supported by Barclays, AT&T, Office of the Brooklyn Borough President, The New York Community Trust, and Empire State Development

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (September 28, 2016) – Hundreds of community members, nonprofit and business leaders, and Per Scholas students and alumni celebrated Per Scholas’ expansion to Brooklyn yesterday, marking the organization’s second New York location. New York State Department of Financial Services Superintendent Maria Vullo applauded Per Scholas’ tenacity in providing rigorous, tuition-free technology training to New Yorkers striving for careers in technology. The expansion to Brooklyn will enable Per Scholas to train an additional 140 New Yorkers annually, resulting in more than 550 New Yorkers trained and prepared for technology careers every year.

Department of Financial Services (“DFS”) Superintendent Maria T. Vullo remarked, “I want to congratulate Per Scholas for providing New York communities with innovative and vital opportunities for advancement in technology, and for educating the next generation of leaders. I am honored to be part of the grand opening of Per Scholas’ second New York location and its first in Brooklyn, my hometown borough. As Superintendent of DFS, I believe it is imperative that we serve all New Yorkers in their financial services needs, and that we are committed to innovative leadership, such as with our recent cybersecurity regulation, the first of its kind in the nation. Through training provided by Per Scholas, New Yorkers will have the necessary skills to flourish at the forefront of emerging and groundbreaking industries.”

Per Scholas’ expansion to Brooklyn was made possible through the generous support of lead sponsor Barclays, as well as AT&T, The New York Community Trust, the Office of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Empire State Development, and individual contributors.

“It was an honor to be part of this special day as Per Scholas opens its doors to help many more people in Brooklyn and the surrounding communities with this fantastic new facility,” said Jes Staley, Group Chief Executive Officer, Barclays. “Barclays is proud not only to partner with Per Scholas but to play a part in driving economic growth and social progress overall. This is not just about ensuring we’re operating with transparency and integrity, but also highlighting the humanity that sits behind finance, and the ability of financial services, and banks like Barclays, to support people in achieving their ambitions. It is about our determination to leave things better than when we found them and we know that if we partner with the best, like Per Scholas, we can make an even deeper impact in our communities.”

“The jobs of today and tomorrow are rooted in technology, and our workforce must be planted in the high-quality tech skills needed to succeed in the marketplace. I am pleased to support Per Scholas in the outfitting of training labs for their new Bedford-Stuyvesant facility that promises to support a diverse and talented array of students,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams.

“As a global tech company that is on the front lines of innovation, AT&T is constantly thinking about what the workforce of the future – and our future employees – will need for success. That is why we are so proud to have stepped up our commitment to education, including with our continued support of Per Scholas as it expands its unique training model to Brooklyn,” said Marissa Shorenstein, New York State president, AT&T. “Not only is Brooklyn home to many tech companies, it is also home to many communities in need of the career opportunities that Per Scholas provides. We know that this new Per Scholas site in Brooklyn will empower many more New Yorkers to hit the ground running with the skills they need to succeed.”

“Per Scholas has a great track record of being ahead of the curve and teaching the right skills at the right time,” says The New York Community Trust Senior Program Officer Roderick Jenkins. “Their new location in Brooklyn shows that they’re also doing their work in the right places.”

“Per Scholas provides training for low-income New Yorkers to obtain good jobs in the high growth IT sector, providing the tools needed to launch a career,” said Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Howard Zemsky. “Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership we are doing more than ever to support workforce development across New York State.”

Last week, Per Scholas New York launched a new cybersecurity training track, powered in large part by Barclays. Twenty new Per Scholas students started the course at the organization’s South Bronx headquarters and are expected to move to new classroom space at 630 Flushing Avenue in Brooklyn this fall. More than half of the new students call Brooklyn home and, staying true to its commitment to student diversity, Per Scholas is welcoming a class where 40 percent of students are women and 30 percent are veterans.

Through rigorous and tuition-free technology training and professional development, Per Scholas has helped thousands of individuals who are unemployed or underemployed launch successful careers in technology, while creating real onramps to businesses in need of their talents. Per Scholas’ training has been evaluated and found to be among the most successful in independent, controlled, and randomized research, most recently reflected in MDRC’s WorkAdvance report.

“We’re very grateful to our supporters including Barclays, AT&T, the Office of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, The New York Community Trust, and Empire State Development, to help us expand into one of New York’s hottest boroughs for tech,” said Per Scholas President and CEO Plinio Ayala. “For more than 20 years we’ve remained steadfast in our commitment to training individuals in overlooked communities who may lack the opportunities, but not the motivation or intellectual curiosity, to join the ranks of our nation’s growing tech sector.”

To learn more about Per Scholas Brooklyn, please visit www.PerScholas.org/Brooklyn.

Full press release can be found here.

EDITOR’S NOTE: High-res photos from yesterday’s Grand Opening Celebration are available upon request. To request photos or to coordinate interviews with leadership from Per Scholas, Barclays, AT&T, The New York Community Trust, the Office or Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams, and Empire State Development please contact Sara Neumann at sara@cfoxcommunications.com or (202) 256-8687.

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About Per Scholas

Per Scholas is a national nonprofit that drives positive and proven social change in communities across the country. Through rigorous and tuition-free technology training and professional development, Per Scholas prepares motivated and curious adults who are un- or underemployed for transformative careers in the tech sector, while creating onramps to businesses in need of their talents. Per Scholas provides its solution in six cities across the country: Atlanta, GA; Greater Cincinnati, OH; Columbus, OH; Dallas, TX; the National Capital Region; and New York, NY. To date, Per Scholas has trained over 6,000 individuals, helping them build lasting, life-changing careers in technology. For more information, visit perscholas.org, Twitter @PerScholas and Facebook.

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We are pleased to announce the 2016 Per Scholas Corporate Partners reflecting new ranks for many existing committed partners and several additions from leaders in the industry who engage our work through multiple touchpoints to support our students’ success.

The Per Scholas training model is employer-driven by design. Our corporate partners are a lifeline to the success of our work. It is our honor to recognize the committed engagement of our most supportive corporate partners nationally for 2016.

These corporate partners are distinguished through an exceptional level of engagement with Per Scholas students and graduates as an employer, volunteer partner, invested funder and industry leader. Per Scholas works with companies to customize partnerships that express each group’s philanthropic goals and reflect its corporate culture.

We are pleased to share it was a growing year with eight partners increasing their level of commitment and advancing to a new partner rank, and a substantial 27 new partners added to the roster.

Partnership levels reflect corporate engagement across four key areas of support:

1. Funding: Grant funding, event sponsorship, asset recovery, and in-kind donations of equipment, Per Scholas is grateful for each one.  
2. Hiring: Bridging the gap between a skilled job seeker and the employers that need them is the crux of the Per Scholas model. The vast majority of our recognized partners are committed employers.
3. Leadership:  Board governance, training and curriculum development, providing industry market data and more are some of the many ways our corporate partners help to advance the Per Scholas mission and ensure each student is receiving the most relevant training services. 
4. Volunteering:  Mentoring and training support benefits all students and graduates, and some end up at the hosting corporate partners. Mentoring and volunteer engagements carefully build multiple pathways into employment.

Go here to view the 2016 Signature, Major and Partner list.

If you are interested in becoming a partner, hiring graduates, volunteering, or donating, learn more here.

The United Way of Metropolitan Dallas produced a spotlight video featuring Per Scholas and graduate Alex Hernandez, the first graduate in Dallas to land a job following the IT job training. Today he works at Turner Construction providing IT support. Watch and share. 

Nearly $1 million has been earned in wages by the formerly unemployed of Dallas-Fort Worth. 

The outcomes are a result of a $500,000 investment grant by JPMorgan Chase & Co. to nonprofit Per Scholas to bridge the technology skills gap.

DALLAS, MARCH 8, 2016 – In less than one year, nearly $1 million has been earned in wages by the formerly unemployed of Dallas-Fort Worth, who are now gainfully employed in technology careers as a result of a $500,000, two-year grant by JPMorgan Chase & Co. awarded to Per Scholas this past year.

The national IT job training nonprofit opened in South Dallas near Fair Park in March 2015, working to bridge the significant middle-skill job gap existing in the region’s growing technology job sector.

“Our partnership with Per Scholas means more people will get better jobs, helping each graduate provide a better life for their family,” said Jay Clingman, head of Chase Middle Market Banking in Dallas. “Helping people gain the work skills they need will transform lives and strengthen our region’s economy.”

As Per Scholas nears its one-year anniversary, it celebrates with stories from some of its 100 participants from its tuition-free technology training. The nonprofit is hosting a forum on March 8 with JPMorgan and other workforce providers to address the impact their services are having on closing the city’s skills gap. CitySquare, Jewish Family Services, Literacy Instruction for Texas (LIFT) and NPower will join Per Scholas to reveal an impact data report on the region’s progress to date in closing the skills gap. The forum will take place March 8, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.at the Dallas Public Library auditorium (Central Branch, 1515 Young Street).

Preview of the findings include:

• 700 jobs filled in the past 3 years among graduates of the workforce agencies
• Starting salaries range from $26,000-$45,000 by participant graduates
• All participants were unemployed and/or living in poverty
• Employer partners and workforce participants who benefited will augment the positive data with personal testimonies.
• Download the full Impact Report

Dallas resident and Per Scholas graduate, Alex Hernandez, will be one of the panelists speaking. Prior to finding Per Scholas, Alex held manual-labor jobs and never earned more than $10 an hour. Alex was one of the first local residents to enroll in the full-time course where he received hands-on training and industry credential CompTIA A+ certification, all offered to him at no cost thanks to investments from JPMorgan Chase & Co. and many others who help to fund the $7,000 it cost to prepare Alex.

A job offer was made to Alex prior to his graduating from Per Scholas. Today he works for Turner Construction in the IT department. “To say life has improved is an understatement,” he said.

Residents interested in the training can learn more at perscholas.org.

About Per Scholas
Per Scholas is a national nonprofit offering 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.

About JPMorgan Chase
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.6 trillion and operations worldwide. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing, and asset management. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase & Co. serves millions of consumers in the United States and many of the world’s most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under its J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.

On January 4, U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) visited Per Scholas Cincinnati to show his support of Per Scholas’ work with the long-term unemployed and to discuss his priorities as Co-Chair of the Senate Career and Technical Education Caucus.

The Senator met with Per Scholas staff as well as students of the current IT Support cohort. Portman shared, “I was glad to see the important work being done at Per Scholas Cincinnati to ensure Ohioans have the skills needed to fill the jobs that are available.”

During the visit, he also toured the CityLink Center and was impressed with the integrated social services that people can find there.

As Co-Chair of the Career and Technical Education Caucus and a member of the Senate Finance Committee, Portman wrote and passed an amendment that makes long-term unemployed Americans eligible for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), which encourages businesses to hire hire long-term unemployed Ohioans, helping them get back on their feet. He says, “Six years after the recession was declared over, more than 2 million Americans have been unemployed 27 weeks or longer – and even that excludes the approximately 6 million Americans who say they want a job but are not counted as unemployed because they have given up searching.  This provision creates an incentive for employers to hire those folks, the very people who have the most trouble finding work.”

To view the coverage of the Senator’s visit on WLWT news, click here.

To view the video, click here.