NPower and Per Scholas Each Receive $1M Grants from Truist Foundation to Support Tech Training Across North Carolina  

Grants will help expand access to careers in technology, boost
economic mobility for underserved adult learners

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 10, 2023 – In an era where technology and digital prowess have become essential for many job opportunities, Truist Foundation today announced $2 million in commitments to support a singular focus: forging pathways to economic mobility through technology-oriented training initiatives in communities across North Carolina. A $1 million grant will go to national tech training nonprofit NPower and a separate $1 million grant will go to Per Scholas, a national nonprofit that aims to advance economic equity through training for tech careers. 

“North Carolina has long been a thriving tech hub, but not everyone has access to the opportunities it offers,” said Lynette Bell, president of Truist Foundation. “Truist Foundation wants to make careers in tech accessible to everyone across the state, and by offering coursework and career opportunities in more communities, NPower and Per Scholas are helping to break down those barriers to entry.” 

Per Scholas will use its funding to double the size of its technology skills training program offering in the Tarheel state. Through dynamic partnerships, Per Scholas North Carolina will offer remote training programs to more than 250 learners in rural areas of the state in an effort to increase access and opportunity for high-growth careers in technology. 

As it expands, the organization will grow its powerful partnership with Wilkes Community College to provide tech skills, professional development and coaching to learners in Western North Carolina, outside of Charlotte city limits. With a robust roster of employer partners, from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups, some previous Per Scholas North Carolina graduates were able to double their pretraining wages in their first tech job, which can result in sustainable economic mobility.

“Per Scholas is grateful for this tremendous investment into Per Scholas North Carolina from Charlotte-based Truist Foundation, helping to increase pathways to economic mobility for North Carolinians. We know the transformative impact a career in technology can have on individuals, and increasing access and opportunity is key. Per Scholas North Carolina has seen the impact of our rural training model already, injecting more than $1.9 million back into local communities,” said Mike Terrell, managing director of Per Scholas North Carolina. “We’re very humbled by Truist Foundation’s grant, which will help us unlock potential for even more aspiring rural technologists, in turn building stronger communities, companies and economies.”  

Using the grant funds, NPower will expand its free flagship Tech Fundamentals training program into North Carolina for the first time with a location in Raleigh—a vibrant city within the Research Triangle community. The 16-week training program addresses barriers that exist among young adults ages 18 to 26, military-connected individuals and women of color eager to enter the field of technology.

The ambitious expansion seeks to attract, educate and empower at least 150 new learners over the course of the grant, and aims to hone their skills to master the art of information technology (IT) with the expectation of acquiring expertise equivalent to professionals with one to two years of experience. One of the goals of this initiative is for the impact to extend beyond the boundaries of learning, enabling these graduates to confidently embrace the digital economy and its myriad possibilities.

“Real innovation begins when the problem statement is clear and there is a sincere commitment to address it. That’s why we’re thrilled to be partnering with Truist Foundation for our expansion into North Carolina,” said Bertina Ceccarelli, CEO of NPower. “Empowering underserved communities through innovation in tech and embracing diversity isn’t just a vision; it’s the driving force behind NPower’s mission, where every challenge becomes an opportunity to pave the way for a brighter, more inclusive tomorrow.”

During an event at Truist Center in Charlotte, Truist Financial Chairman and CEO Bill Rogers joined Bell, Ceccarelli and Caitlyn Brazill, chief development officer of Per Scholas, to formally announce the grants and discuss their impact across North Carolina. Terrell and NPower Executive Director Ray Trapp also participated in a panel moderated by Bell to discuss the importance of progressing economic mobility in North Carolina.

North Carolina is known as a tech hub in the U.S. In 2021, commercial real estate leader CBRE ranked Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte among the top tech talent markets in the U.S. and Canada. According to their findings, Charlotte proved to have one of the most diverse tech talent workforces in the U.S. and ranks among the top 10 states in the nation for total employment in this sector. 

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About NPower

NPower is a national nonprofit on a mission to move people from poverty to the middle class by training youth from underserved communities and military-connected individuals in a range of tech skills and placing them in quality jobs. Students who enter their free, six-month program, earn industry-recognized certifications and graduate with the competencies of an IT professional with one to two years of experience. NPower also places students in paid internships with corporate and nonprofit organizations. Eighty percent of NPower graduates get a full-time job or continue their education. Not only is NPower changing life trajectories for individuals from vulnerable communities, but they are also strengthening the overall competitiveness of U.S. businesses hamstrung by today’s limited pool of IT talent. To learn more about NPower, visit www.npower.org.

About Per Scholas

For more than 25 years, Per Scholas has been advancing equity and increasing opportunity across America. Per Scholas unlocks potential for individuals, communities, and employers through rigorous training for careers in tech. Partnering with dynamic employer partners, from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups, we are building sustainable and diverse talent pipelines, together changing the face of tech. With national remote training and campuses in 20 cities and growing, Per Scholas offers tuition-free training in the most in-demand tech skills, including Cloud, Cybersecurity, Data Engineering, IT Support, Software Engineering, and more. To date, more than 20,000 individuals have gained the skills to launch high-growth tech careers, earning three times their pre-training wage. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging is our DNA, with 85 percent of learners are people of color, two in five are women, and more than half have a high school diploma as their highest education credential. Learn more by visiting PerScholas.org and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. For local updates, follow Per Scholas North Carolina on LinkedIn and Facebook. 

About Truist Foundation

Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. Established in 2020, the foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life. Truist Foundation grants and activities focus on building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses. Learn more at Truist.com/Foundation.

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Truist Financial Corporation (NYSE: TFC) and Truist Foundation today announced $17 million in commitments to support affordable housing in Charlotte and career development and economic mobility programs across North Carolina.

The Truist commitment consists of three initiatives:

• $15 million equity investment from Truist Community Capital in the Housing Impact Fund II to combat displacement, secure affordable housing and facilitate critical services for low-to-moderate income families across Mecklenburg County. It is the second such fund formed by Erskine Bowles, former head of the U.S. Small Business Administration and White House Chief of Staff under President Clinton, and Nelson Schwab, a founding partner of Carousel Capital.
• $1 million Truist Foundation grant to Per Scholas North Carolina to expand technology skills training in rural North Carolina.
• $1 million Truist Foundation grant to NPower to provide technology skills and employment opportunities for military-connected individuals and underserved young adults in the Raleigh community.

Read the Truist press release here.

On July 20, Per Scholas Diverse by Design hosted our first-ever Unlocking Potential Summer Concert and Spoken Word Celebration. This hybrid event, produced live from Per Scholas New York and Per Scholas North Carolina and streamed at PerScholas.org/Concert, brought together Per Scholas staff, learners, alumni, partners, advisory board members, and more to rally around our mission to unlocking potential. 

This inspiring event featured talented musicians and poets who work, learn, and partner with Per Scholas, including:

• Deji Adefuye, Per Scholas Dallas Teaching Fellow, who premiered two original songs titled Persevere and You Believe In You
• Melodie Rodgers, Per Scholas Manager of Career Advancement, sharing her original poem, Unlock Your Potential 
• Zaidi Howard, Per Scholas Chicago Teaching Fellow, sharing his original poem, Soul Questions 
• Caprice Green, Per Scholas Detroit Alumna, performing Astonishing from Little Women 
• Mike Terrell, Per Scholas North Carolina Managing Director, performing Tears for Fears’ Everybody Wants to Rule the World 
• Omoanatse McCarther, Per Scholas Diverse by Design Senior Director, sharing her original poem, Forged Key 
• Broadway Star Tim Connell, performing Corner of the Sky from Pippin
• Nonprofit Consultant and Leadership Coach Saundra Thomas, performing her original poem, Silver Linings

Hosted by Executive Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Culture Ken Walker, viewers had the opportunity to hear from our EVP of People Montreece Smith, Regional Senior Vice Presidents Noah Mitchell, Jaclyn Boyes, and Robin Nadeau, as well as President and CEO Plinio Ayala. Chief Development Officer Caitlyn Brazill delivered remarks live from the Bronx and introduced the final performances. 

Scores of Per Scholians came together for this exciting event; many thanks to Per Scholas Columbus, Per Scholas Dallas, Per Scholas New York Bronx, and Per Scholas North Carolina for hosting on-campus viewing parties.

In closing, the event showcased just a handful of our brilliant Per Scholas alumni, which you can watch here.  If you missed the Unlocking Potential Summer Concert and Spoken Word Celebration, you can watch the recording here! If you feel inspired and want to help unlock potential, please give at perscholas.org/donate.

Earlier this month, Per Scholas Newark hosted JPMorgan Chase at our campus for an innovative corporate engagement workshop, Unlocking Opportunities in Cybersecurity: Guidance on Building a Successful Career. The event was organized by Per Scholas Newark Advisory Board member Farrah Patterson, who serves as Executive Director for Technology and Cybersecurity Operational Risk at JPMorgan Chase. Fifteen learners in our current Per Scholas Newark cybersecurity cohort benefited from the event.  

Topics covered during the session included Power of Networking, Interview Preparation, Imposter Syndrome, and Elevator Pitches. Speakers shared authentic insights and invaluable tips on the organic way to approach interviews, guidance on mastering interviews with a memorable 30-second introduction, and advice from their personal journeys in technology, which serves as a powerful example of success for women and people of color in cybersecurity. This session afforded the presenters an extraordinary opportunity to give back and connect with future cybersecurity technologists. 

The opportunity to increase equity here in New Jersey, through technology careers, is tremendous. At Per Scholas, we see technology as a tool to unlock potential, and to us, every company is a tech company. One of the major challenges is the lack of representation in tech, meaning individuals who participate in skills-based training, like the training we offer at Per Scholas, could be making a difference! 

“JPMorgan Chase technologists, including our Advisory Board Member Farrah Patterson, understand the importance of diversifying tech,” Per Scholas Newark Managing Director Jessica Zorola stated. “This all leads to growing a technical workforce in the Garden State, and I’m very hopeful that other businesses in need of well-trained tech talent get in touch with Per Scholas.”  

JPMorgan Chase colleagues Shawn McCredie, VP of Recruiting, Cybersecurity, Technology and Controls; Sarah Gentillon, VP of Digital Content Lead; Dan Tutt, Project Execution Associate, Cybersecurity; and Ardis Carlos, VP of Cybersecurity Community Engagement Manager, contributed their talent to help organize the workshop and provided industry insight to our cybersecurity learners. Farrah Patterson recalled how this Cybersecurity workshop was a great opportunity to inspire and guide learners as they prepare to enter the workforce. “We must support these students in achieving their career objectives together,” she said.  

Per Scholas learner Asma Daif Allah reflected, “I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the invaluable insights and guidance provided by the JPMorgan Chase & Co. team during the program. It was an amazing opportunity that has equipped me with essential knowledge and skills.” 

If you’re interested in organizing a corporate engagement event with Per Scholas learners at any campus or virtually, please email [email protected]. 

Per Scholas Expands Tech Training to Houston

 Ion Welcomes Per Scholas As Part of Community Investment to Build Inclusive Technology Workforce; Now Accepting Applications

HOUSTON (July 17, 2023) – National tech training nonprofit Per Scholas today announced its expansion to Houston, joining Ion District, Houston’s 16-acre innovation district developed by Rice University. Through an innovative relationship with Ion, Per Scholas Houston will offer its tuition-free technology skills training from its newest campus located at 4201 Main Street. In addition to Ion selecting and investing in Per Scholas as the District’s workforce development partner, Per Scholas Houston has received generous support from BlackRock and Comcast NBCUniversal. 

“We are excited for Per Scholas to join the Ion as a workforce development partner, as well as recognize a CBA milestone by investing in developing a tech workforce of Houstonians,” said Jan Odegard, Executive Director of the Ion. “This investment will expand non-traditional learning opportunities for local Houstonians looking to develop new skills in our dynamic economy.”

Training by Per Scholas Houston will get underway in October, beginning with its best-in-class IT Support course. Applications are now open, and interested individuals can learn more and apply here. Learners will have the opportunity to earn the Google IT Support Professional Certificate and the CompTIA A+ certification, equipping aspiring technologists with the knowledge and skills to fill a wide range of entry-level tech careers. 

Per Scholas unlocks potential for individuals, communities, and companies by offering rigorous, 12- to 15-week tech skills training and connecting Per Scholas graduates to high growth careers in technology. Per Scholas Houston marks the nonprofit’s second campus in Texas, joining Per Scholas Dallas, which has been training technologists in a variety of tech skills since 2014. 

“The BlackRock Foundation’s longstanding partnership with Per Scholas is a natural extension of our mission to create more paths to financial security for more people,” said Claire Chamberlain, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director, Corporate Sustainability and Social Impact at BlackRock. “Through skill-building and mastery, the program expands access to careers in technology and is critical for unlocking the potential of a new generation of technical leaders. We are so proud to be a part of bringing Per Scholas to Houston.”

“A future of unlimited possibilities starts by providing ambitious, driven, and talented individuals with opportunities. That’s precisely why our partnership with Per Scholas is a perfect fit,” said Misha McClure, Comcast Texas’ Director of External Affairs. “Our investment will help build a diverse and thriving workforce here in Greater Houston by providing skills training for highly sought tech careers. We’re grateful to Per Scholars for its ongoing work to educate and connect our future business leaders with leading businesses. We look forward to what we can achieve together.”

Aligned with its commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, 85 percent of Per Scholas learners are people of color, more than 40 percent identify as women, and more than half have a high school diploma as their highest education credential. Per Scholas graduates are hired into tech roles by more than 850 employer partners nationwide, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups. The Per Scholas model is proven and evidence-based. Per Scholas trained technologists go on to earn three times their pre-training wage in their first job following graduation. Plus, every dollar invested in Per Scholas results in an $8 net economic return. 

“Per Scholas commends the vision and commitment of the City of Houston, Ion, Rice University, and so many others, to catalyze change, grow ideas and innovation, and drive impact. We are thrilled that Per Scholas Houston is now part of the effort,” said Plinio Ayala, President and CEO, Per Scholas. “With tremendous investment from Ion, BlackRock, Comcast, our proven skills training will develop technologists to power Houston’s workforce today – and tomorrow – creating a more inclusive and equitable economy. We can’t wait to get started.”

To learn more about the Ion, please visit iondistrict.com. To learn more about Per Scholas Houston, click here, and follow Per Scholas Houston on LinkedIn and Facebook.

About Ion

Located in Ion District, the namesake building is the transformative centerpiece of Houston’s innovation corridor. Designed to bring our city’s entrepreneurial, corporate, and academic communities into collaborative spaces and programs, the sunlit structure of steel and glass is a home for advancing diverse knowledge, teams, technologies, and products that propel our world forward.

From Fortune 500s seeking flexible office space to first-time startups looking for the funding to design a prototype, the Ion provides wide-reaching space and support to connect every What if with What now?—welcoming individuals and teams of all kinds to a place to build a better way. 

About Per Scholas

For more than 25 years, Per Scholas has been advancing equity and increasing opportunity across America. Per Scholas unlocks potential for individuals, communities, and employers through rigorous training for careers in tech. Partnering with dynamic employer partners, from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups, we are building sustainable and diverse talent pipelines, together changing the face of tech. With national remote training and campuses in 20+ cities and growing, Per Scholas offers tuition-free training in the most in-demand tech skills, including Cloud, Cybersecurity, Data Engineering, IT Support, Software Engineering, and more. To date, more than 20,000 individuals have gained the skills to launch high-growth tech careers, earning three times their pre-training wage. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging is our DNA: 85 percent of learners are people of color, two in five are women, and more than half have a high school diploma as their highest education credential. Learn more by visiting PerScholas.org and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 

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While many companies have mentioned diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as a priority, less than half of organizations have a mature DEI strategy in place. Together with TEKsystems, we created a helpful infographic to empower organizations to consider a true commitment to a diversity program from activating a plan, implementing change, and assessing your progress.

Check out our four tips for evaluating your diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy

View and download the full PDF here.

We are thrilled to announce that Per Scholas received a $4.5 million grant from Comcast to advance economic opportunity through digital skills building and tech training. This investment will fuel our expansion to three new cities in need of skilled technologists for digital economies and empower more than 10,000 technologists to launch high-growth careers across 15 markets.

“Comcast continually helps Per Scholas unlock potential, building a future of unlimited possibilities,” reflected Plinio Ayala, President and CEO of Per Scholas. “Our partnership is powerful — Comcast is investing in communities, ensuring digital skills are ubiquitous across America, and hiring Per Scholas-trained technologists.”

Read the full press release here.

Tearing the Paper Ceiling: Let Skills Shine

Skills are powerful. In its purest form, a skill is the ability to do something well. Let’s take my son’s favorite sport into consideration: soccer. Some skills are natural, like body-balance and coordination. Others are learned, improved, and refined over time, like dribbling, trapping, and teamwork. His favorite player, Sadio Mane of Senegal, has an innate ability, but has also dedicated his focus to develop and perfect his skills over time. 

For too long, skills have been overlooked and undervalued in the American hiring process, relying on proxies for preparedness in place of proof of preparedness. That’s why I’m so proud of our friends at Opportunity@Work for their unwavering commitment to rewire the labor market so that everyone can contribute their skills, talent, and energy in pursuit of a better life, an equitable America, and a stronger economy for all. 

Tearing the Paper Ceiling and Unlocking Potential for STARs

O@W is galvanizing our nation to Tear the Paper Ceiling and recognize the untapped potential of the 70+ million American workers who are STARs – Skilled Through Alternative Routes. STARs make up half of the U.S. workforce and for decades, have been excluded from good, high-wage jobs. STARs grow skills and knowledge through community college, proven workforce training programs like Per Scholas, bootcamps, certificate programs, military service, on-the-job learning, and more.

According to a recent survey by Indeed, two thirds of job seekers across the nation believe they were overlooked for a job they were qualified for because they did not have the degree listed in the job description. We’re stifling potential instead of unlocking it, creating even greater opportunity gaps. 

Because Per Scholas is a tech and essential skills trainer, let’s examine the facts facing our nation’s technology workforce. The most recent jobs report reveals there were 234,000 tech job openings in April, far outnumbering the number of applicants. I’d surmise that many STARs didn’t even apply, seeing a college degree as a minimum requirement to put forth their credentials. It’s disheartening. 

As Chief Training Officer at Per Scholas, it’s our learners and alumni who fuel my passion. More than half of our learners are STARs, and the skills they’ve acquired during our 12 to 15 week tuition-free training stand on the shoulders of the skills they already possess: perseverance, time management, tenacity, passion, collaboration, problem-solving and beyond. Plus, they earn a variety of CompTIA certifications – industry recognized credentials that again, prove their mastery of the skills they’ve learned in their training.

Learners like Brittany, who knew a career in tech was for her, and what would provide the economic freedom for her family. Brittany brought resourcefulness, resilience and an inquisitive attitude to her IT Support training every day. She worked the overnight shift, cared for her young daughter, and always arrived to training early, ready to shine.

Hearing stories and experiences like Brittany’s – and thousands of Per Scholas STARs – motivates me in my work, advocating for skills-based hiring.

Solutions for Skills Based Hiring

A year ago, Maryland passed a bill that eliminated degree requirements from thousands of state job postings, far increasing the application pool and ultimately creating more equity. And valuing people for the skills they bring to the table, not the piece of paper. I’m hopeful many more leaders in the public sector will follow suit. I’m encouraged that many private sector companies, from Intel to Amazon and Dell to Google are removing 4-year degrees as a mandatory requirement for a variety of technical roles. This powerful action unlocks potential and creates pathways to a strong middle class.

Employers are the key change agents here, and they win by gaining a more productive and thriving workforce if they’re brave enough to activate skills based hiring. I think Henry Ford said it best: “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” If we continue to exclude talent from the onset, we’ll continue to have hundreds of thousands of open tech jobs each month. 

In 12 to 15 weeks, Per Scholas learners graduate from our rigorous, tuition-free tech skills training in a variety of the most in-demand disciplines our tech sector needs: Java Development, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, IT Support, Salesforce Administration, and more.

It’s the essential skills they refine, like professionalism, perseverance, creative problem solving, and the hard skills they learn like pen testing and networking protocols that make Per Scholas STARs tip-top applicants. Our graduates are ready to make a difference day one on the job. 

Let their proven skills training with Per Scholas serve as the proof of preparedness. Let STARs shine.

On May 15, more than 25 leaders from TD Bank volunteered their time and participated in mock interviews with a Cybersecurity Cohort of Per Scholas learners from Atlanta, Newark, and Boston. Corporate volunteerism is critical in Per Scholas’ training and provides an opportunity to connect with business leaders and gain industry insight. 

TD Bank leaders had a chance to give back by helping aspiring technologists improve their communication skills, learn about key technical content, and better understand varied corporate cultures. Volunteers had the opportunity to provide insight on their technical skills, social and emotional intelligence at work, and career pathways through mock interviews. The advice and insight given greatly impacts Per Scholas learners. Through this interaction, learners are able to increase their knowledge about a corporate environment and gain valuable practice speaking with a working technical professional.

To learn how you can volunteer with Per Scholas, reach out to Robert Wilhelm at [email protected].

Earlier this spring, Per Scholas received $50,000 from the Citizens Philanthropic Foundation for our Per Scholas Alumni Upskilling program, which provides continued support to our alumni after they leave Per Scholas. Focuses of the program include  access to career and financial counseling, upskilling courses, and more. 

This funding was part of a commitment by Citizen Bank’s Citizens Charitable Foundation and Citizens Philanthropic Foundation to grant $350,000 to support technical training and career counseling in the state of New Jersey. Other funding recipients included Greater Newark LISC, Urban League of Essex County, and Year Up New Jersey.

Jessica Zorola, Per Scholas Newark’s Managing Director, was interviewed by NJ Tech Weekly about Per Scholas’ participation in this grant program. “As a result of the investment from the Citizens Philanthropic Foundation, Per Scholas is going to be able to grow our alumni upskilling offerings for individuals here in Newark and the surrounding New York City metro area,” Jessica said. “People who have graduated from Per Scholas want the opportunity to move around in the tech industry, and to qualify to move up the ranks. If you think about careers in tech, they are constantly changing and evolving, so learners need to acquire more industry-recognized certifications, building a little bit more of that skill set to build careers over time.”

Jessica also emphasized the importance of grants like this in helping Per Scholas and other similarly-focused organizations promote equity in tech employment in New Jersey. In an industry that is predominantly white and male, it is important to increase opportunities for female and minority learners to thrive. “When I talk with our learners and alumni, I’m very open and honest about addressing the challenges of this lack of representation,” Jessica told NJ Tech Weekly. “You know, only 4 percent of technologists nationwide identify as women of color like myself.  So, when I have my learners in the classroom and hear their stories, it can feel very impactful and powerful because they are bringing in that representation that is missing in tech.”

Read the full news article here!