Per Scholas recently partnered with Apollo for an enriching and valuable volunteer event in New York.  This event marks the second in-person event since the pandemic struck and featured resume reviews and mock interviews. The event was hosted by Apollo Managing Director Greg Sills and Chief Information Officer Jamey Lamanna. Greg is also a longtime Per Scholas National Advisory Board member. 

The event is one of more than fifty volunteer events Apollo has put on around the world this summer and aligned with Per Scholas’s mission to advance careers in tech through tuition-free training.  

During the event, one of our learners reflected, “I was so nervous before coming into this opportunity and speaking with professionals in tech. After speaking with them and getting their business insight, there was meaning behind their work, and I feel much more comfortable and better equipped as a professional.”  It was also mentioned that there was a huge value in the event being in-person, as it offered a chance to meet professionals in a real business setting, much like what our learners will encounter when they begin their job searches and interviewing. 

There was great intention throughout the event from Apollo, as they gathered people from their tech teams from another office location versus bringing in team members not familiar with the industry. Their interview advice and resume tips were applicable to our learners and graduates that are looking to enter the tech industry. 

During the volunteer event, Jamey Lamanna reflected on a memorable interview experience that wasn’t just a step in getting a job but a moment to grow, which he has carried with him ever since. The event also featured a question and answer session where Apollo team members provided tips to be more polished as professionals, made our learners more comfortable, and shared ways to be more aggressive and confident when speaking about themselves in an interview. 

We are excited for more volunteer opportunities with the Apollo Opportunity Foundation in the New York community. This was a great way for one of our partners to get involved with our mission and immerse themselves with our learners. We look forward to more in-person volunteer events in the future.  

To learn more about volunteer partnerships with Per Scholas or in-person volunteer opportunities, reach out to Miguelina Manriquez.  

In recent months, Per Scholas has expanded to create our 18th and 19th campuses in St. Louis and Orlando, and on July 18th, these two newest campuses officially launched their inaugural cohorts! 

The initial Orlando cohort is an End User Desktop Support course designed in partnership with long-time Per Scholas partner, TEKsystems. This first cohort has 12 learners enrolled and will run for 12 weeks.

Per Scholas has partnered with TEKsystems since 2015 in our mission to provide opportunity and access to tech education in communities across the country that are typically underrepresented in the tech industry. Collaborative courses between our two organizations currently exist at a number of Per Scholas’ campuses, and we are excited to be adding Orlando to that list. “There are many motivated, talented individuals who want to pursue a career in technology but might not have a four-year degree or access to do so,” Faith Rottmann Johnson, Vice President of Human Resources at TEKsystems, said. “Our partnership with Per Scholas enables us to build pathways for these individuals.”

Orlando was named by Brookings Institute as a “rising star” for tech employment and job growth, and it has one of the fastest growing tech markets in the U.S. with a 3.5% annual labor force growth rate. 

“At Per Scholas, we believe a thriving workforce starts with equitable access to education, and we’re committed to increasing access and closing the opportunity gap,” said Damien Howard, chief enterprise solutions officer at Per Scholas. “Launching Per Scholas Orlando, together with our transformational partner TEKsystems, is really thrilling, and I’m looking forward to all the good we’ll achieve together in the Sunshine State.”

The inaugural St. Louis cohort is a Cybersecurity course, with 16 enrolled learners (ranging in age from 22 to 75 years old!), that will run for 15 weeks. Learners will receive training and the opportunity to earn their CompTIA CySA+ certifications at the completion of the course. Cortex Innovation Community worked with Per Scholas to enter the St. Louis market to accelerate inclusive economic growth in the region.

According to CompTIA’s April jobs report, St. Louis ranked seventh in the nation for the most new tech job postings, and after talking with local employers and partners, the need for cybersecurity skills is certainly at the forefront. Additionally, over 27,000 tech jobs have been posted by nearly 3,000 employers in the region this year. 

“I am honored to join Per Scholas and lead our transformational work here in St. Louis,” Per Scholas St. Louis Managing Director, Dr. Charlie Mackey, Jr., reflected. “I believe our training removes two of the largest barriers for members of our local community who aspire to work in technology: access and affordability. By removing these barriers, Per Scholas learners and our future St. Louis graduates can achieve social and economic mobility. Our partnership with Cortex – and being located in this incredible District – will propel our ability to interact with the local tech community and employers in need of tech talent.”

To learn more about our inaugural Orlando cohort, click here. 

To learn more about our inaugural St. Louis cohort, click here.

Per Scholas Newark is the proud recipient of an enriching grant from Panasonic. In the grant, Per Scholas is one of seven organizations to receive funding to further provide individuals with educational equity.

This grant will help further Panasonic’s commitment to preparing young people for success in the global 21st century and support Per Scholas Newark in continuing to train our learners to advance their careers in the tech industry.

Click here to learn more about Per Scholas Newark’s training and courses available. 

Since the start of Per Scholas in 1995, we’ve grown to more than 300 employees, 19 locations across the country, and we’re not done yet! Due to our rapid growth and expansion, our organization has been seeking more hard-working and passionate people to join our team. This month, on June 16th, we held our first-ever Per Scholas Virtual Career Expo, showcasing our available positions; both remote and on-site. The Career Expo provided an opportunity for interested applicants to learn more about the Per Scholas mission, chat live with our recruitment team, and submit resumes on the spot.

The event was held in an incredible virtual space, designed in a collaboration by Per Scholas and virtual event platform vFairs. The space featured a lobby, expo hall, help desk, and lounge that applicants could move through as the event progressed.

 Those attending the event first entered the virtual lobby, where they were welcomed, via video, by Per Scholas Executive Vice President of People Montreece Smith. Attendees could also view a People of Per Scholas testimonial video, featuring some of our amazing employees.

 Next, attendees entered the Expo Hall, which contained multiple booths, each representing a currently-hiring department at Per Scholas. Applicants could browse job vacancies by department, chat live with our recruitment team, and submit applications on the spot for positions that interested them.

 In the Lounge area, attendees could view Per Scholas social media channels and video testimonials from Per Scholas employees. On the employment end, our recruiters were able to search submitted resumes and schedule private chats with selected candidates.

 More than 130 candidates attended the event, with over 80 applying for positions. The site will remain open for the next few weeks so that interested candidates can continue to view open positions and apply. We are excited for what is to come as our organization continues to grow and add new, wonderful people to our team!

Join Our Team!

In very exciting news, this month marked the return of Per Scholas’ in-person networking events, which have been held remotely for the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Our first two events were held in Atlanta and Dallas and created learning opportunities for Per Scholas alumni and an opportunity for them to meet and network with funders, employer partners, and industry experts.

The Atlanta event, Per Scholas Atlanta Homecoming: Level Up, was held on June 2nd, at the Marquis Conference Center and Patio in Atlanta, Georgia. Current learners and Per Scholas alumni had the opportunity to network and connect with fellow Per Scholas graduates, meet our wonderful new Atlanta team and Advisory Board members, and gain insight from Per Scholas staff and special guest industry experts on ways to bring their careers to the next level. 

“The Atlanta Homecoming Event was meant to introduce the Atlanta Alumni to the new staff and to welcome alumni who took remote classes to their home campus,” Sherri Sims, the Managing Director of Per Scholas Atlanta explained. “Our goal was to meet the alumni and offer our support in ‘Leveling Up’ their careers. We offered a networking session and two panel discussions…Overall the event was a huge success and several alumni have received interviews and job offers as a result.” 

In the first panel discussion, attendees learned about great ways to improve their resumes and LinkedIn profiles in a presentation by Per Scholas Atlanta Business Solutions Director Teri Gittens, and Senior Manager of Career Advancement, Stephanie Spencer. Kelly Raper, a Talent Acquisition Partner from Sage Software was a special guest speaker, who provided some additional tips and insight to the eager audience.

In the second panel discussion, attendees were taught some tips on moving to the next level of their careers by Per Scholas Advisory Board Member Nicole D. Smith, from the Harvard Business Review, and Sherri Sims. Special guest speakers for this portion included Prabhu Sadasivam, the Senior Director of Software Engineering, Insurance Technology, at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, and Danielle Joiner McPherson, the Director of Global Reservations, Tech and Innovation at Delta Airlines.

Finally, attendees learned about networking best practices, ways to upskill in the tech field, and a wealth of alumni resources available to Per Scholas graduates. The event concluded with a Q&A session, a networking mixer, and an opportunity to have a professional headshot taken.

Our Dallas event, Per Scholas Dallas Leadership Connection – Stronger Together, was held on June 9th at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library in O’Hara Hall in Dallas, Texas. The event offered an inspiring afternoon of exploring the impact Per Scholas Dallas has on the lives of our learners and the workforce community, as well as insight on how individuals and organizations can get more involved with our work. Per Scholas Dallas graduates from 2020 forward were welcome to attend the event, and attendees had ample opportunity to network and connect with corporate and community partners, meet our passionate Dallas team, and hear from our successful Per Scholas graduates.

The event began with welcome remarks and an icebreaker by Per Scholas Dallas Director of Employer Partnership, Monique-Saré Jenkins. Attendees learned some key highlights about Per Scholas Dallas from Dallas Manager of Career Advancement Jason Cancino, Senior Manager of Recruiting and Admissions Ciara Owens, and Manager of Financial Capability Janell Pollard.

Next, attendees heard from Adedeji Adefuye, a 2020 Per Scholas Dallas IT Support alumni, who now works for Per Scholas as an Instructional Assistant. Adedeji’s story is one of inspiring success, and an excellent example of the ways in which a high-quality, cost-free tech education can change lives. Attendees then heard about “Funding the Mission,” from special guest speaker, Jay McCall, a Program Manager at the Rainwater Charitable Foundation, a private family foundation based in Fort Worth, Texas, that is dedicated to funding initiatives centered around education, and the ways in which it can change lives and communities. Finally, attendees learned about “Partnering With the Mission” from Stephanie Kline, the VP of Client Services at YUPRO, and Tirrany Nettles, YUPRO’s Director of Recruiting. YUPRO is an opportunity talent placement firm dedicated to creating diverse, inclusive workplaces.

Monique-Saré Jenkins concluded the event with a call-to-action for alumni, funders, and employer partners to get involved with making Per Scholas a success and changing the face of the technology industry.

“The Leadership Connection event was phenomenal,” Monique-Saré reflected afterward. “After two years of being apart, we wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to reestablish our footprint within the local community by inviting some of our alumni, funders, corporate partners, and other community leaders to build meaningful connections over lunch.”

We look forward to continuing to hold more in-person events as the year progresses and providing exciting and enriching opportunities to our learners, alumni, funders, and partners.

This month, Per Scholas’s AWS re/Start cohort launched in a new market in Seattle and also graduated more than 100 learners in multiple cities that are now ready to enter the tech industry with new, in-demand skills. Our graduation featured a keynote address from Amazon Web Services’ Principal Solutions Architect, Mojgan Ahmadi and celebrated our learners from our Chicago, National Capital Region (NCR), Cincinnati, New York, Newark, and Boston campuses. 

In her keynote address, Mojgan Ahmadi mentioned that in technology, there are so many opportunities, but with Per Scholas’ AWS re/Start training, our graduates are prepared for success. “Set a goal and work towards that. In technology, you have to continue to study and stay on top of your game,” Ahmadi reflected. “With this education that you have been given, you have all the tools in order to achieve success.” 

Shortly after our AWS re/Start graduation, we launched our inaugural cohort in Seattle, where Amazon has a location, including the Amazon Skills Center, where our learners are encouraged to study and advance their tech skills. Prior to the launch, Amazon hosted a kick-off event to introduce our learners to the Seattle Skills Center and encourage the use of any future classes. The event also featured a tour of the Skills Center and a time for our learners to network and become familiar with all Amazon Web Services has to offer. “Per Scholas is extremely proud of our partnership with AWS and we look forward to additional opportunities to help our learners build valuable cloud computing skills,” reflected Brian McRae, Per Scholas Seattle Site Director. “The recent event at the Skills Center has further ignited our learners’ passion and enthusiasm for the AWS re/start program.  It now feels real to them and I cannot wait to see them progress over these 15 weeks with their AWS Cloud Practitioner certifications in hand.”

The inaugural Seattle cohort had a full capacity of twenty learners eager to advance their careers in technology and will end in October. To learn more about our AWS re/Start cohorts and see our upcoming start dates and locations, click here! 

On June 8th, Per Scholas President and CEO, Plinio Ayala, spoke at the Social Innovation Summit in a Comcast NBCUniversal led panel discussion. Held in Washington, D.C. The Social Innovation Summit is a global social impact community whose events strive to bring together “the greatest innovators, changemakers, wayward thinkers, and black swans to come together to make real and lasting change towards social good.” Participants take part in discussions, debates, and networking opportunities to promote important ideas and work towards bringing about positive social change.

The two-day event featured numerous speakers, followed by a series of breakout room discussion sessions. Plinio was one of the featured speakers in the first breakout session of the second day. The 45-minute session, entitled “Driving Economic Mobility Through Digital Equity,” consisted of individual introductions followed by a series of questions intended to spark conversation amongst the speakers. The floor was then opened to questions from the audience, to promote audience participation.

Plinio’s fellow breakout session speakers included Michael Ellison, Co-Founder and CEO of CodePath.org, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that brings together employers, students, and colleges to eliminate inequities in technical education and recruiting, and Dwana Franklin-Davis, Chief Executive Officer of Reboot Representation, a Tech Coalition dedicated to closing the gender gap in tech by doubling the number of Black, Latinx, and Native American women earning bachelor’s degrees in computing by 2025. Their session was moderated by Gwyneth Gaul, Associate Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Community Impact at Comcast NBCUniversal.

The attendees discussed a variety of topics, including the shift to virtual learning during the pandemic, the role of innovation in each organization’s mission, each organization’s approach to partnership and collaboration, strategies to ensure that the economic mobility that digital equity provides remains sustainable in a rapidly changing world, and individual advice for potential funders evaluating digital equity. 

“There will be hundreds of thousands of jobs appearing in tech over the next few years that we can’t imagine right now,” Plinio told attendees. “At Per Scholas, we feel a strong sense of urgency, because the entry point is constantly moving. We provide the necessary tech training to ensure diverse, resilient people of color can get access to digital careers and take advantage of thriving wage opportunities.”

At the start of May, Per Scholas North Carolina welcomed North Carolina Congresswoman Virginia Foxx as our Commencement Speaker for our Software Engineering cohort. This was the inaugural graduation for Per Scholas North Carolina and Wilkes Community College’s recent partnership, in which Per Scholas teamed with NC Tech Paths to prepare our graduates to launch a thriving career in technology.

We are honored that Congresswoman Foxx delivered the Commencement Address to our eleven graduating technologists with a note on continuing education beyond graduation. “I am so excited about what is happening and I want to congratulate today’s graduating class on taking this step forward,” congratulated Congresswoman Foxx. “I want to applaud you for all your hard work in making that big life change. Your education doesn’t end once you graduate from this course. Education is a continual process, no matter what stage you’re in.”

This is a very special cohort – it is the first to matriculate as part of our innovative partnership with Wilkes Community College and since Per Scholas Charlotte expanded to become Per Scholas North Carolina, encompassing access to our cost-free tech training across the entire state. 

“We couldn’t be more excited for these graduates and the exciting opportunities coming their way in the near future. This graduation is a huge moment for North Carolina, and another big step forward in our partnership with Wilkes Community College and NC Tech Paths,” noted Per Scholas North Carolina Managing Director Mike Terrell. “I truly believe this is a blueprint to drive economic opportunity across the state, and I can’t wait to see the impact this partnership has in years to come!”

Per Scholas North Carolina is thrilled to continue our partnership with Wilkes Community College. With this first graduation in Software Engineering and eventually IT Support, Per Scholas and Wilkes Community College is set to train more than 300 learners over the next three years. 

On May 10th, Per Scholas partnered with LaunchCode, another tech education nonprofit, to hold a panel discussion about the future of building inclusive workplaces in Philadelphia. The event, “The Journey Ahead: Making Meaningful Change in the Diversity of Philadelphia Tech,” was held at the city’s University City Science Center, and was moderated by local DEIB strategist Alia Sutton-Bey.

Before the panel, attendees were welcomed and addressed by Phil Brooks, Workforce Development Director at the University City Science Center, Keighan Gunther, Assistant Vice President at LaunchCode, and Nikki Pumphrey, Managing Director at Per Scholas Philadelphia.

“At Per Scholas, we know that access to opportunity is not equal,” Nikki told the audience. “From the steadily increasing racial wealth gap in our city, to the ways in which the pandemic has affected women of color, significant challenges stand in our way for us to see and achieve an equitable and inclusive workforce here in our city. It’s not enough to just increase access. The real work starts when organizations make commitments that go beyond hiring; when they start implementing practices like pay equity, advancement, and culture change. That is why Per Scholas is committed to partnerships that advance opportunities for our graduates, who are the future of Philadelphia’s diverse tech workforce.”

The panel convened a diverse group of industry leaders in tech, human resources, and social services, including Ashley Chance, a Board Member with Blacks in Tech Philly and former Senior Diversity Talent Sourcer; Danita Jones, Director of HR at Family Practice and Counseling Network and President of the National Association of African Americans in HR; Janine Galen, Program Manager of Strategic Workforce Planning at Vanguard; Marcus Smith, STEM and CTE Coordinator at Mastery Charter Schools; and Senzwa Ntshepe, Co-Founder of both Edclusion and Elivade. 

Panelists discussed ways to promote opportunity for Philadelphia residents, create a more diverse and inclusive talent pipeline, support and promote Philadelphia’s economic development, and ultimately connect the community with companies to build inclusive workplaces, reimagine and transform business lines, and create a diverse workforce that addresses persistent intergenerational gaps in wealth and opportunity.

This month, Per Scholas President and CEO Plinio Ayala was part of a LinkedIn Live discussion, Solving the Tech Talent Problem, with Bob Goodwin, Founder of Career Club. The event focused on the growing lack of tech talent for an abundance of available tech positions and how Per Scholas is solving the tech talent problem through our cost-free tech training and partnerships with industry-leading employers. 

Bob Goodwin, who also sits on the Advisory Board for Per Scholas Cincinnati, moderated the conversation and interviewed Plinio on the history of Per Scholas and our ability to pivot and grow in an ever-changing industry, moving from 100 individuals enrolled to the pathway to training 10,000. “We’re in an ever-changing business and our learners bring in-demand skills and continue to upskill themselves to remain relevant in the industry,” Plinio reflected. “We prepare our learners with career coaching and development skills so they are well-rounded individuals for employers.” 

In regards to how Per Scholas is solving the tech talent problem, we turn to our partners and the support we have with them to develop training tracks specific to their industry and business needs. “Companies can partner with an organization like Per Scholas so we can construct training specific to them and their job needs to obtain talent that is skilled for them,” Plinio mentioned. “You don’t need a degree to be successful, and these companies’ mindsets and approaches are shifting now to a different perspective. Per Scholas’s training is a way to redefine secondary education and a way to get corporations seeking talent to look at our learners through a different lens.”

Plinio reflected that Per Scholas’ training is a triple win: learners win by launching their careers in tech, employers win with great talent tailored to fit their business needs, and the economy wins with more citizens contributing to the economy. 

Additionally, Goodwin touched on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging and how Per Scholas is contributing to DEIB for employers.  “A more diverse staff lends to a stronger workforce, and creating a diverse workforce based on local demand is creating a consistent pipeline employers can depend on,” Plinio discussed. “Benefits of drawing from a diverse talent pool include that our learners are an immediate return for employers. The retention rates are higher as with Per Scholas graduates, with 50% more likely to stay with their company. Our graduates also hit the ground running because they are fully equipped with skills needed for work straight out of our training.”

Click here to watch the full LinkedIn Live event!