Per Scholas is honored to be featured in The New York Times article by Steve Lohr, which explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping the software engineering field and the role of workforce development programs in preparing talent for the future.

The article highlights how Per Scholas, through its no-cost technology training programs, is equipping individuals with in-demand skills needed to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving tech industry. As AI changes the nature of coding and software development, Per Scholas’s training ensures that aspiring technologists have the foundational knowledge and adaptability to succeed.

A key highlight of the article is the success story of Ismail FoFana, a Per Scholas graduate who leveraged the training and career support offered by the program to break into the tech industry. His journey is a testament to the power of high-quality, accessible education in creating life-changing opportunities and addressing the talent gap in the sector.

Per Scholas remains committed to our mission of advancing economic mobility by providing rigorous tech training, career development, and employer connections to our learners. As AI continues to reshape the workforce, our role in fostering a skilled pipeline of tech talent has never been more critical.

Read the full New York Times article here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rafael Gerena

[email protected] | 689-239-3127

Social Finance Partners with Per Scholas to Offer Living Expense Loans to Learners

The Zero Percent Loan program helps participants to cover living expenses with support from Social Finance, a grantee of the Google Career Certificates Fund

Boston, MA and New York, NY (December 16, 2024)—Social Finance, a leader in innovative workforce investments, has partnered with Per Scholas on a pilot program that offers living expense loans to participants in Per Scholas’ three-month, no-cost IT Support training program. The Zero Percent Loan (ZPL) program helps participants to cover living expenses while they complete the Google IT Support Certificate—training for in-demand, well-paying jobs with pathways to economic mobility—allowing them to focus on gaining the skills needed for these careers.

There are many good jobs that need to be filled, but they often require a degree or credential. These training programs are out of reach for many prospective participants who must decide between pursuing training and working so that they can cover their living expenses.

The Per Scholas ZPL is managed by Social Finance, a grant recipient of the $100 million Google Career Certificates Fund. The program supported by the Google Career Certificates Fund aims to drive $1 billion in aggregate wage gains for more than 20,000 people while providing wraparound support services such as professional coaching, interview prep, and job placement assistance. With the ZPL, learners receive $3,000 over the course of the three-month long Per Scholas program. The loans are flexible, allowing learners to use them according to their needs for expenses such as rent, groceries, transportation, or childcare. Learners only repay the ZPL via no-interest, low monthly payments if they secure jobs making above a minimum salary. Repayments received are reinvested back into the program to allow more learners to benefit.

Per Scholas piloted the loan across 21 IT support cohorts at eight campuses—Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit, North Carolina, and Philadelphia—and aims to expand the program with support from additional partners.

“The Zero Percent Loan program is a game-changer in Per Scholas’ mission to drive economic mobility and build a diverse, inclusive tech workforce,” said Plinio Ayala, president and CEO of Per Scholas. “By tackling the often-overlooked challenge of living expenses during training, this initiative reduces financial barriers that have long kept talented individuals from reaching their full potential. With the support of Social Finance, Google.org, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the Charles Koch Foundation, we are not just empowering learners to gain critical skills for in-demand careers—we are creating a model for lasting economic equity and reshaping the future of opportunity in the tech industry.”

Early results from the pilot demonstrate the impact of the ZPL, with participants achieving an 83% graduation rate compared to 70% for non-participants, a statistically significant improvement. Detailed in a newly released report by Per Scholas, the pilot ran from June 2023 to March 2024, with nearly 60% of all eligible learners applying for the ZPL.

“We designed this program, made possible through the Google Career Certificates Fund, to support learners as they prepare for jobs that lead to economic mobility. We are encouraged by the early results of the Zero Percent Loan pilot with Per Scholas, which show greater persistence among learners using the loan,” said Jake Edwards, VP of Impact Investments at Social Finance. “We are excited to apply learnings from the partnership, and other training providers supported by the Fund, to build the knowledge base of what works to help more learners upskill at scale.”

The program is already helping learners improve their job prospects and earning potential. Wanting to switch careers, Tori Haynes—who had been working as a security guard and DJ—was encouraged by a Per Scholas alum to consider Per Scholas training to pursue her interest in a career in tech. Tori enrolled in Per Scholas’ IT Support course in Baltimore. The ZPL provided Tori with the financial stability to focus on the program, helping her gain technical and professional skills. Tori now works as an IT Support Specialist at a real estate company and is exploring opportunities in emerging technologies, including AI.

“When I found out I got the loan, it was such a relief—it was one less thing to worry about. It allowed me to concentrate fully on my studies and gave me a cushion so I didn’t have to work constantly to make ends meet,” Tori said. “Some people literally can’t pursue education because they can’t afford it. Doing this program for free and with the extra financial help? That’s a miracle for some people.”

The Google Career Certificates were developed by Google employees to support skilling in high-demand fields within 3-6 months—with no degree or experience required. The Google Career Certificates Fund began supporting learners with training providers including inaugural training providers Merit America and Year Up in 2022. In addition to training and wraparound support, learners are also connected to an employer consortium of over 150 companies that consider Google Career Certificates graduates.

To learn more about Per Scholas’ IT Support training program and how you can enroll, visit perscholas.org.

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About Social Finance

Social Finance (SF Advisors, LLC) is a national nonprofit and registered investment advisor. We work with the public, private, and social sectors to create partnerships and investments that measurably improve lives. Since our founding in 2011, we have mobilized more than $400 million in new investments designed to help people and communities realize improved outcomes in workforce and economic mobility, health, and housing. Learn more at socialfinance.org.

About Per Scholas

For nearly 30 years, Per Scholas has been on a mission to drive equity and opportunity in the ever-advancing technology landscape by unlocking the untapped potential of individuals, uplifting communities, and meeting the needs of employers through rigorous tech training. By teaming up with dynamic employer partners, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups, we’re forging inclusive tech talent pipelines, fulfilling an ever-increasing need for skilled talent. With national remote training and campuses in 20+ cities and counting, Per Scholas offers no-cost training programs in the most sought-after tech skills, spanning Cloud, Cybersecurity, Data Engineering, IT Support, Software Engineering, and more. To date, 25,000+ individuals have been trained through Per Scholas, propelling their professional trajectories into high-growth tech careers with salaries three times higher than their pre-training earnings. At Per Scholas, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging aren’t just buzzwords—they’re in our DNA. 85+ percent of our learners are people of color, two in five are women, and more than half hold a high school diploma as their highest educational credential. Learn more by visiting PerScholas.org and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 

Per Scholas North Carolina has been featured in a recent WCNC Charlotte article, highlighting the impact of our free tech training programs in transforming lives and building stronger communities.

The article spotlighted Chris Ham, a graduate who turned his dream of working in cybersecurity into reality after completing our program. Chris described Per Scholas as a unique opportunity to advance his education without going into debt, and he’s now thriving in a role with Wells Fargo, an achievement he once thought beyond his reach.

Michael Terrell, our Senior Managing Director, highlighted how the program’s benefits extend beyond individuals, uplifting entire communities through better-paying jobs, financial independence, and economic growth.

We’re proud to see our work recognized and remain committed to empowering more individuals like Chris to succeed in the tech industry!

Per Scholas is excited to be celebrating Arianna Hernandez’s inspiring story, which was recently featured in The Muse. The article highlights Arianna’s incredible journey from overcoming personal and professional challenges as an immigrant to breaking into the tech industry with the help of the Per Scholas IT Support program. Her story is a testament to the power of determination, resilience, and the transformative impact that accessible education can have on someone’s life.

When Arianna arrived in the U.S. from Venezuela, she faced a daunting set of challenges: a new language, an unfamiliar culture, and the need to start her career over from scratch. Like many immigrants, she faced barriers that made it difficult to transition into a new field, especially one as competitive as tech. However, Arianna was determined to find a way forward. After holding several roles in logistics and customer service, she came across Per Scholas, which she describes as a turning point.

Our program provided Arianna with more than just technical skills. Through in-person classes, hands-on labs, and professional development support, she gained both the hard and soft skills needed to navigate a tech career. The program’s resources not only helped her pass industry-recognized certifications like the CompTIA A+, but also gave her the confidence to pursue opportunities she once thought were beyond her reach. Arianna’s success in securing a help desk analyst role with Republic Services just months after graduating is a powerful example of what is possible when individuals are given the tools and support to thrive.

Arianna’s story is particularly meaningful as it reflects the core mission of Per Scholas to create pathways into tech careers for individuals who might otherwise be overlooked due to systemic barriers. The Muse’s feature on Arianna celebrates her hard work and dedication while highlighting the importance of initiatives that create more opportunities for diversity and inclusion in the tech industry. By offering no-cost, high-quality tech training to individuals who are frequently excluded from these opportunities, whether because of financial limitations, lack of access, or biases, Per Scholas is working to build a more equitable workforce.

Stories like Arianna’s fuel our commitment to expand our programs and reach even more individuals across the country. We firmly believe that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. By investing in our learners’ growth and development, we are not only transforming their lives but also enriching the tech industry with diverse perspectives and skills.

Thank you to The Muse for spotlighting Arianna’s journey and the broader impact of our work at Per Scholas. We are proud to be a part of stories like hers and are excited to continue empowering talented individuals to achieve their career aspirations, no matter where they start.

Per Scholas Greater Boston received a Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund grant from Commonwealth Corporation for the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) in 2023. This grant aimed to support Per Scholas’ mission of advancing economic mobility for diverse communities through no-cost technology training and job attainment. With the EOLWD grant, Per Scholas Greater Boston continued to expand its capacity to provide no-cost, high-quality training in IT and cybersecurity, helping more individuals gain the skills needed to attain well-paying jobs in the tech industry. This funding also enabled Per Scholas to enhance its employer partnerships and job placement services, ensuring that graduates can successfully transition into thriving careers.

Watch the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development’s video feature on Per Scholas Greater Boston here!

Per Scholas Detroit Alumni Terrell Hemphill discussed his training at Per Scholas during a presentation with CAEL -(Council for Adult and Experiential Learning) on Learnings from the Field: Worker-Centered Benchmarking Project. CAEL partners with entities across the adult learner ecosystem to help create actionable career pathways along the journey of lifelong learning and meaningful work.

Terrell interned with one of Per Scholas’ funders, Corporation Skilled for Workforce, and his experience and work as an advocate for workforce solutions has been highlighted with CAEL, Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the Aspen Institute.

Read more about his presentation here.

Watch the full presentation here.

As part of CNBC Make It’s Ditching the Degree series, Per Scholas Alumna Ayana Dunlap is featured as a woman who built a six-figure career without a bachelor’s degree. She shares with readers how the combination of the skills she built at Per Scholas and her transferable skills led to her transition from hospitality to her current role as the Assistant Vice President of Operations and Information Technology at the Bank Policy Institute. She’s now earning about $125,000 less than 4 years after graduating from Per Scholas, a salary that Dunlap says would have been “unimaginable” at this point in her career, had she stayed in hospitality.

Read the article to learn more about her journey.

Per Scholas Celebrates $20 Million Investment from Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott

Transformational Investment Propels and Positions Tech Skills Nonprofit for National Future Impact

BRONX, New York (September 28, 2023) – Per Scholas, a national nonprofit committed to advancing economic mobility and unlocking potential through technology career training, today announced a $20 million investment from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

Receiving this transformational investment from MacKenzie Scott, one of the most dynamic philanthropists in modern times, is a testament to Per Scholas' impact over our nearly 30 year history. As we've evolved from a computer recycler in the South Bronx to a technical skills trainer in 22 cities and counting across America, we are so grateful for this $20 million gift – the largest, unrestricted funding our organization has ever received. This investment will propel Per Scholas for even greater national impact well into the future, centered on growth and innovation and ensuring our alumni achieve a thriving wage through our Career Accelerator. — Plinio Ayala, President & CEO, Per Scholas

To date, Per Scholas has prepared more than 20,000 individuals across the U.S. for high-growth careers in technology by offering tuition-free, rigorous, 12- to 15-week training in the nation’s most in-demand tech skills. The evidence-based Per Scholas model has been proven in multiple gold-standard research studies, and on average, Per Scholas-trained technologists go on to earn three times their pre-training wage in their first job following graduation. All told, Per Scholas graduates have earned more than $2.4 billion in their post-Per Scholas careers, powering economic advancement in communities across the nation.

Per Scholas connects graduates to high growth careers through our network of 850+ employer partners, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups, and supports alumni through the organization’s latest innovation, the Career Accelerator, which provides Per Scholas alumni short-term upskilling opportunities, in turn propelling careers. As a result, every dollar invested in Per Scholas results in at least $8 in net economic return.

I'd like to express my most heartfelt gratitude to Per Scholas staff, funders, employer partners, and supporters, who have believed in our mission to advance economic equity and increase opportunity through America's hottest sector - technology. While the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted life in ways previously unimagined, it presented the opportunity for Per Scholas to innovate a new delivery model, which proved so successful that we were able to scale our impact four-fold. I echo Plinio's gratitude to Ms. Scott - this $20 million investment will certainly position Per Scholas well into our next decade of unlocking potential. — Lewis Miller, Per Scholas Co-Founder and National Board Chair

Today, Per Scholas operates in 20+ U.S. markets including Atlanta, Baltimore, Greater Boston, Chicago, Greater Cincinnati, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Newark, New York, North Carolina, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Seattle, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. This investment will enable Per Scholas to continue to expand its training and talent solutions to additional communities across the United States, with the goal of training 10,000 learners per year by 2026.

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 in our DNA: 85 percent of Per Scholas learners are people of color, two in five are women, and more than half have a high school diploma as their highest education credential. Visit PerScholas.org and follow us on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

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Meet Esther, Per Scholas Dallas Graduate & Technologist 

Esther is just one of Per Scholas’ 20,000+ alumni. She’s a proud Per Scholas Dallas IT Support graduate and successful career switcher, living her dream of working in tech. Click below to hear her story and how she’s benefitting from the Career Accelerator – earning more stackable credentials to propel her tech career! 

Four Per Scholas alumnae were interviewed and featured in an article for The Muse, the first values-based career platform, helping individuals connect with jobs, companies, and careers that align with their core values and priorities.

Anita Bailey, Rumana Syed, Fabianna Rodriguez-Mercado, and Misty Branch all underscored the need to diversify the tech workforce and how Per Scholas is doing so through our no-cost training, where a third of our learners are women and 85% are people of color.

“Tech is an industry that’s evolving and will continue evolving,” Rodriguez-Mercado says. “We need more women and underrepresented communities to be part of these conversations.”

Read the full article for The Muse here!

Per Scholas North Carolina’s training and $1 million grant from Truist Foundation was featured on WBTV’s news program. Dedrick Russell, Executive Producer for Community Content at WBTV spoke with Jeff Jones, Per Scholas North Carolina alumni, and Kim Gomme, current learner, to get their insight and experience with their training.

The campus’s Managing Director Mike Terrell discussed the impact of the $1 million grant in expanding to rural communities and how having a diverse workforce is necessary for the industry.

Watch the full feature here and read more about the segment here.