“There are a lot of people who helped make this possible,” said current Per Scholas student Brandon Kinney as he looked around in awe at the 70 plus guests at the Per Scholas Dallas grand opening held today, June 18.

Brandon and his fellow classmates greeted guests upon arrival and provided tours of the new Per Scholas space. Everyone who has been invested in Per Scholas Dallas since the beginning joined the celebration – CitySquare, Capital One, TEKSystems, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, Workday, the Women of Saint Michael’s, the Boone Family Foundation, Barclays, JPMorgan Chase — the list goes on from many in the philanthropic sector, tech sector, finance, and fellow community nonprofits. The opening of Per Scholas Dallas was a collective effort.

Dallas is the fifth and newest Per Scholas location to open. The first class graduated four weeks ago and the second is currently in session. Among those first graduates, already 50 percent are working following training at an average starting salary of $38,000 — higher than the national $30,000 starting average. In the months ahead, a total of 80 individuals will be trained in Dallas in its first year, 700 through Per Scholas nationwide.

“These are good jobs. Good careers that lift people up and get them on their way to a better life,” said Billy Lane, Managing Director of Per Scholas Dallas. The selection of Dallas was a result of an extensive feasibility study conducted by Per Scholas. Technology positions, for which professional training and credentials are essential, are plentiful and growing. Dallas-Fort Worth ranks near the top for high-tech growth with an estimated 142,000 high-tech jobs in the area, a 3% increase from last year, and third highest in the nation. At the same time, 36% of households live in asset poverty and 66% of adults lack post-secondary credentials in Dallas (CFED, Opportunity Index).

“You do not help the community by acting alone,” Dr. John Siburt, President and Chief Operating Officer of CitySquare, said in his remarks. “We do it together.” CitySquare recruited Per Scholas to open its operation in CitySquare’s South Dallas Opportunity Center where several community service providers reside – a multi-service center to fight poverty and create opportunity for Dallas residents.

“If I was an IT manager, I would leave here hiring every last one of the students I have met today. You can tell immediately upon meeting them — they are ready to work,” Kent Eastman, President of Texas Capital One, said in his speech. Capital One is an anchor funder that aided in the opening of Per Scholas in Dallas.

Councilwoman-Elect Tiffinni Young and Montreece Smith of CA Technologies also spoke, each expressing similar enthusiasm to build community, strengthen the local workforce and economy, and empower every single Per Scholas student toward a path of success. Appropriately following the remarks of these champion supporters was Per Scholas graduate Joe Anderson of the inaugural Dallas class.

“Before I found Per Scholas, my professional life consisted of a bunch of odd jobs. I worked security, drove trucks for a few years. Just jobs. Jobs to make money, jobs to pay the bills. I was just there, but not particularly happy. I am excited to share today that I’ve completed 4 really intensive interviews with the company Alvarez and Marsal and I am waiting to hear final word from them — hopefully with an offer,” Joe shared.

Per Scholas provides Joe and others like him free high quality hands-on technical skills learning and professional soft skills development. The course teaches to the CompTIA A+ certification, which prepares candidates for entry-level help desk and technical support roles. The Per Scholas model has been proven successful through independent studies, triggering growth into new markets like Dallas.

Per Scholas extends its deepest thanks to the guest speakers and the South Dallas community for a very warm welcome. We look forward to engaging with local partners and employers. The takeaway message from Managing Director Billy Lane of Per Scholas Dallas is clear: “Hire our graduates. And if you can’t, then introduce Per Scholas to a person who can.”

Many partners contributed to support the opening of Per Scholas Dallas. Special thanks: AdvanceNet Labs, Aerotek, Allegis Group Foundation, AT&T, Barclays, Boone Family Foundation, Capital One, CA Technologies, Commit!, Communities Foundation of Texas, Council Members Dwaine Caraway, Carolyn Davis, and Adam Medrano, Creating IT Futures Foundation, CRGT, CynergisTek, Dallas Regional Chamber, Dallas Women’s Foundation, D/FW Airport, The Family Place, Habitat for Humanity, Improving Enterprises, Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce, Jewish Family Services, JPMorgan Chase, KForce, Matthews Southwest, The Offices of Mayor Mike Rawlings, Mayor Pro Tem Tennell Atkins, The Meadows Foundation, Metroplex Tech Business Council, Neuberger Berman, Nexus, NPower, Open Systems Technologies, Palter Stokley Sims Wright, Reliance Methods, Revitalize South Dallas Coalition, Social Impact Architects, Social Venture Partners Dallas, Staff One HR, TEKsystems, Thomson Family Foundation, Time Warner Cable, TREC Dallas, Twist Solutions, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, Urban League of Greater Dallas & N.C. Texas, UT Dallas, Virtusa, Wai-Wize, Women of Saint Michael’s, Workforce Solutions of Greater Dallas, Workday, Worksoft, and YWCA of Metropolitan Dallas.

Scanning the giant cork board at the employment center in Columbus, Ohio, Joetta found the postcard advertising Per Scholas’ CompTIA A+ training. There were hundreds of postings with similar education and job training opportunities, but Joetta decided to give Per Scholas a chance. She grabbed the postcard along with a few others. Skeptical of the “free” statement the Per Scholas course offered, she said to herself, “If it’s no more than $10,000, I can probably pull the funds together to make it work.”

Joetta was determined to launch a career in technology and breakaway from the seasonal tax worker job she relied on for income in the past. With a teenage son, she wanted to provide him a path to college that wasn’t burdened by the financial obstacles. Obstacles that were all too familiar to her. She relied on student loans in her previous attempt at college–from which she never obtained a degree, only some credits due to the extreme expense.

In each step of the application process to Per Scholas, Joetta continued to ask: Is there financial aid? What portions are not free? What will this cost me?

“I still to this day cannot believe everything I received from Per Scholas was offered free of charge to me. The quality of the certifications, the ongoing support from the staff, the instructor was so effective. Other places offering just the certifications charge $10,000 and up.” Joetta graduated in 2014 and within weeks was hired by our Signature Partner, Nationwide as a Help Desk Analyst. Her first job ever in I.T.

The employer-driven job training model at Per Scholas relies heavily on our relationships with the business sector. Through industry leadership, employee volunteers, donating resources and funding, and hiring our graduates Nationwide provides invaluable support Per Scholas students and graduates. Joetta can attest firsthand to the company’s exceptional commitment.

“When I was a few weeks into my training at Per Scholas, we were each assigned to a mentor from Nationwide. I stayed in touch with mine regularly. She was always so responsive. I kept her updated on my application process when I pursued the job. Now that I am there she is still constantly supporting me. We speak every two weeks.”

Both Michelle and a number of staff managers have encouraged Joetta on her journey. She has received positive feedback with regard to her quality of work and her strong work ethic. “Everyone is just so happy here. They work as a team here and I really love that.”

Joetta continuously surprised herself during the first few weeks on the job. For instance, she knew how to reset a password, set-up a ticket in the ticketing system, and set-up a new employee in the system. She told us, “‘I know that! I get that!’ It was great to get to use what I learned in class. Mr. Miao burned this knowledge into my brain,” she shares with pride.

Entering this process with skepticism and now a working graduate able to pay off her college loans, Joetta is now a natural ambassador and tells everyone she knows where she got her training: “Go to Per Scholas!” Her Aunt graduated from the course following her lead.

Joetta still stops by the Per Scholas offices and is always greeted with joy and support, “We never forget about you” they say. Joetta expressed, “It’s unbelievable to me. Other programs say that and fall short. At Per Scholas, they mean it.”

“That is part of why I can’t believe I got all of this for free! It’s too good to be true!”

JPMORGAN CHASE MAKES SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT IN PER SCHOLAS DALLAS

Award comes with announcement of Skills Gap Report, Offers Roadmap for Tackling Dallas-Fort Worth Skills Gap, Per Scholas Recognized as Effective Solution

DALLAS, May 21, 2015 – JPMorgan Chase & Co. today awarded Per Scholas a two-year funding grant of $500,000 to support its Dallas information technology job training. The award was announced with the release of its Skills Gap Report for Dallas-Fort Worth, describing the opportunity gap between the thousands of middle-skill jobs created by the region’s vibrant economy and the lack of career readiness of many of its citizens.

The JPMorgan Chase Skills Gap Report states that about a third of the middle-skilled jobs that DFW employers posted and were trying to fill from July 2013 to July 2014 were concentrated in the healthcare and information technology sectors. In the IT sector, there were 6,739 job openings posted.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area added more jobs than any other metropolitan area in 2014. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the DFW metro region created 136,900 jobs of all types last year. DFW’s economy currently has 960,000 middle-skill jobs, which represents 29 percent of the region’s workforce. Middle-skill positions pay an average, median wage of $24.47 per hour, which is 35 percent higher than the region’s living wage of $18.08. Yet, as more middle-skill jobs become available, the report finds that many job seekers in the region do not have the necessary skills, training or education to fill these good paying, available jobs.

“Resources like the Skills Gap Report have been critical to Per Scholas’ national expansion. We rely on that data to validate where there is both a community need and employer demand for technology jobs before we move into a new city. The third and equally critical component is support from the local funding community. We are grateful for this substantial investment from JPMorgan Chase that ensures our services to this community will grow well into the future. Lives and businesses will be transformed,” said Plinio Ayala, President and CEO of Per Scholas.

The growth of middle-skill jobs presents an opportunity for Dallas to address the city’s poverty rate, which at 24.4 percent is among the highest in the nation. The poverty rate in Fort Worth is 20.1 percent, which also is higher than the national average of 14.5 percent.

“The generous investment from JPMorgan Chase allows us to provide our effective employer-driven job training to the residents who need it most. The result will be unemployed and low-wage workers increasing their earnings from pre-training averages of $7,000 to $30,000 — sometimes more — once they graduate from Per Scholas. What is equally as important, an employer will then have an outstanding new employee.” said Billy Lane, Managing Director of Per Scholas.

The training offered is IT-Ready, a free 8-week course that prepares students to obtain industry-recognized CompTIA A+ certification and secure a computer help desk or technical support role, the first step along a family-sustaining IT career path. In addition, specialized training like software testing, cyber security and other IT job roles will be offered based on market demand. The first IT-Ready class graduated in Dallas on May 15 and up to 80 individuals will be trained this year.

To date, nearly 5,000 women and men have trained in IT across Per Scholas sites nationally. 85 percent of participants have graduated and 80 percent have become employed with starting salaries four times higher than pre-training incomes. These outcomes are above the national average for sector-based workforce development, which on average experiences a 64 percent job placement rate as reported in “Putting Data to Work: Interim Recommendations From the Benchmarking Project” by Public/Private Ventures.

Per Scholas was twice recognized by the White House in the past year for its effective work serving the long-term unemployed. Funding from JPMorgan Chase enables Per Scholas to build on its success in helping unemployed and underemployed individuals access well-paying IT careers.

The Skills Gap Report and workforce grants are part of the bank’s $250 million, five-year global workforce readiness initiative, New Skills at Work, the largest ever private-sector effort aimed at addressing the skills gap.

Partnership will help unemployed and underemployed men and women launch careers through high quality technology training and career development services.

TEKsystems®, a leading provider of IT staffing solutions, IT talent management expertise and IT services, and Per Scholas, a nationally recognized IT job training nonprofit, today announced the launch of a national partnership that aims to provide unemployed and underemployed individuals with access to high quality technology and certification training, job placement and career development services.

Per Scholas and the Creating IT Futures Foundation, the philanthropic arm of IT industry association CompTIA, founded IT-Ready to teach underemployed and unemployed individuals the necessary technical and professional skills required to secure a job in IT. IT-Ready locations are individually operated by Per Scholas and the Creating IT Futures Foundation.

IT-Ready is a free eight-week course that prepares hard-working students to obtain industry-recognized CompTIA A+ certification and begin careers in IT as desktop support specialists, IT support analysts and network field technicians. Nationally, 5,000 Per Scholas and IT-Ready students have been trained to date, with 85 percent or more participants graduating and obtaining industry certification, and nearly 80 percent of graduates securing jobs.

The goal of the partnership between TEKsystems and Per Scholas is to advance the IT-Ready training and augmenting the nation’s IT workforce. The companies will focus on the entire IT-Ready network which currently spans six sites: Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Minneapolis / St. Paul, Minnesota; New York City and Silver Spring, Maryland, while also working to add new locations in the future.

In addition to financial support, TEKsystems will be providing “sweat equity” in each city where Per Scholas builds a facility and offers training. TEKsystems employees specializing in various areas of IT from information security to end-user support will provide resume-coaching and advice about career opportunities, perform mock interview training and offer other types of career guidance. Additionally, as part of the partnership, TEKsystems will help Per Scholas graduates find career opportunities upon graduation. Across the cities where the partnership exists, TEKsystems has placed several dozen Per Scholas and IT-Ready graduates in IT jobs to date.

“As an employer-driven, sector-focused nonprofit, we would not be successful without the support of our industry partners like TEKsystems,” said Plinio Ayala, President and CEO of Per Scholas. “Thousands of adults have enrolled in our courses across the U.S., with graduates earning more than $150,000,000 collectively. The commitment from TEKsystems to create opportunity for these individuals through offering funding, employment opportunities and volunteer support in all of our markets will be a key contributor to this life-changing work. We are excited to expand the impact of this relationship.”

“Expanding our partnership with Per Scholas is very exciting. Per Scholas’ skill in developing a pipeline of IT talent aligns with our ability to provide organizations with highly qualified IT professionals. We’ve been placing Per Scholas graduates for several years now, and we’re confident we’ll have a bigger impact on the communities where we live and work with the larger investment from both organizations,” says Faith Johnson, TEKsystems vice president of human resources.

About Per Scholas

Per Scholas is a national nonprofit offering free, high quality technology education, job training, and placement and career development opportunities to unemployed and underemployed individuals. Since 1998, nearly 5,000 have enrolled in its job training programs. The Per Scholas model has been twice recognized by the White House for its effectiveness serving the unemployed and proven successful through independent studies. For more information, visit perscholas.org, on Twitter @PerScholas and Facebook.

About TEKsystems®

People are at the heart of every successful business initiative. At TEKsystems, we understand people. Every year we deploy over 80,000 IT professionals at 6,000 client sites across North America, Europe and Asia. Our deep insights into IT human capital management enable us to help our clients achieve their business goals – while optimizing their IT workforce strategies. We provide IT staffing solutions, IT talent management expertise and IT services to help our clients plan, build and run their critical business initiatives. Through our range of quality-focused delivery models, we meet our clients where they are, and take them where they want to go, the way they want to get there.

TEKsystems. Our people make IT possible.

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.

The Scripps Howard Foundation,the corporate foundation of The E. W. Scripps Company, announced a grant of $10,000 to Per Scholas. This is a first time grant from the foundation.

The grant will serve Per Scholas to train up to 80 men and women from the Cincinnati community in the coming year for careers in technology through its free, 8-week IT-Ready training. The course teaches to the CompTIA A+ certification and prepares candidates for entry-level help-desk and technical support roles. Historically, 90 percent of Per Scholas participants graduate and obtain industry certification and more than 75 percent of graduates land jobs. Per Scholas opened its Cincinnati operation in 2013 and has trained over 60 men and women to date.

Bob Carson, Vice President and Chief Information Officer at the E.W. Scripps Company, is a member of the Per Scholas Cincinnati advisory board.

“When I approached the Foundation and shared the story and mission of Per Scholas, they felt it was a good fit with the Foundation’s mission and enthusiastically donated $10,000 to this worthwhile organization. I am very grateful to them for this donation which will be put to good use to help train deserving individuals for good-paying IT careers,” said Bob Carson.

“Bob Carson is an enthusiastic supporter of Per Scholas and our IT-Ready training. We are grateful for the financial support from Scripps, which allows us to continue to provide technology-focused training to people in Cincinnati who are in need,” says Andrea Applegate, Managing Director of Per Scholas Cincinnati and Columbus, recognizing support from the community as integral to the success of the mission at Per Scholas.

In its fifty-second year, the Scripps Howard Foundation mission is to advance the cause of a free press through support of excellence in journalism, quality journalism education and professional development. The Foundation helps build healthy communities and improve the quality of life through support of sound educational programs, strong families, vital social services, enriching arts and culture, and inclusive civic affairs, with a special commitment to the communities in which Scripps does business.

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

September 11, 2014 marked the inaugural golf fundraiser in Columbus and proved that supporting Per Scholas is not just about impacting our work and students, but is a whole lot of fun.

The event raised $10,000 to support Per Scholas’ continuing growth in Columbus where more than 130 low-income and unemployed residents have been trained to date for family-sustaining careers in technology, like current featured student of the month Kevin Gamble. Ten teams participated in the scramble with representation from sponsors Nationwide, HMB, Lightwell and Centric Consulting, joined by corporate teams Navigator, ViaQuest, TEKsystems, and LeadingEDJE. The competition proved fierce, with golfers vying to win the scramble and three additional competitions. Congrats to Team Lightwell for winning the Scramble! The list of other challenge winners are:

• Longest Drive: Mike Pugh, Centric Consulting
• Closest to the Pin: Thad Leemaster, HMB
• Longest Putt: Justin Wang, Nationwide

Competition aside, the highlight for the golfers was the attendance by the star guests: current and former students of Per Scholas IT-Ready training. With 40 golfers in attendance, Advisory Council Chair Joe Ours of Centric Consulting shared, “It was a great day of golf, and what an opportunity for our corporate supporters to meet some of the individuals benefiting from their investment in the Per Scholas job training.”

The feeling was mutual among the students. “It’s one thing for people to hear about graduates getting jobs. It’s even better for them to hear it directly. The golfers had lots of questions about Per Scholas, and were very excited to hear that I’d graduated and landed a job,” shared Chris Ferguson, graduate and brand new employee of JPMorgan Chase. “I was laid off in April 2013 and it was hard to get back into the workforce until Per Scholas. The program prepared me not only for the technical side of the job but made me comfortable going into the interview. I feel well prepared to start at JPMorgan Chase on Monday and I’m looking forward to it.”

“The synergy between past and present students and our supporters today was amazing. My heart really felt like it was going to bust because the golfers were here to support us, and we were here to help them enjoy the day. I have never been around an organization that works so hard for me, for my success and for my future. I’m determined and ready to take my career to the next level because of Per Scholas,” said Debra White, a current IT-Ready student volunteering her time at the event.

Andrea Applegate and Plinio Ayala

President and CEO of Per Scholas, Plinio Ayala, was in attendance for the big event alongside Managing Director Andrea Applegate. Both express that the support of our inaugural fundraiser proved the sky’s the limit for progress in Columbus. It promises to be an even bigger event next year.

A big thank you to our advisory council members who played invaluable roles in planning: Joe Ours, Bruce Zion, and our leader in planning, Dave Cherry. Their support out the gate is the reason why we are celebrating this success. Endless thanks again to our sponsors, supporters, and to the Oakhaven Golf Club for hosting the event. We look forward to next year.

See all the pictures from the event here. Donate, volunteer, hire a graduate, get involved and help us continue to change lives through our high-impact work.