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!

On May 5th, Per Scholas Chief Development Officer Caitlyn Brazill took part in a panel discussion, How Philanthropy Can Advance Economic Equality, hosted by NYU as part of an event series offered as a collaboration between Aperio Philanthropy and the George H. Heyman, Jr. Program for Philanthropy and Fundraising, within the NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs. 

Other panelists included Kristine Borok, the Chief Operating Officer and Acting Chief Development Officer of Hot Bread Kitchen, Dr. Stacy Dykstra, the Chief Executive Officer of Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, and Dr. Seft Hunter, the Director of Black-Led Organization and Power-Building at Community Change Action.

The panel sought to explore the ways in which philanthropists and funders have been—and should be—contributing to recovery from the pandemic and financial well-being of Americans going forward. Panelists discussed the role of philanthropy in efforts such as providing emergency support, expanding financial inclusion, alleviating poverty, and addressing the root causes of poverty.

In her remarks, Caitlyn emphasized that closing the opportunity gap in tech would allow Black communities across the country to accumulate billions of dollars more annually, benefiting the broader economy, local governments and communities and, more importantly, reducing economic inequities and increasing generational wealth for Black individuals and families.  

“Philanthropy can make a material and sizable difference,” Caitlyn said in her closing remarks. “In the 5 years I have been at Per Scholas, we went from training under 1,000 people a year to 4,000 this year – that’s 4,000 people with marketable skills they didn’t have on January 1st, and that’s $114M in new annual earnings going into the pockets of families around the country and into communities who are being left behind in this economic recovery. Thousands of people would not have had that chance if it wasn’t for the generous investment of foundations and companies and individuals who trusted us and believed in our mission. I feel good every day for the part I can play in helping people transform their own economic future, and I’m grateful for our partners who invest in that work.” 

As the saying goes, everything is bigger in Texas, including our footprint on tech training in the Dallas area. Since 2015, Per Scholas Dallas has prepared more than 1,200 individuals for a career in tech with our tuition-free tech training, with training tracks in IT Support, Cybersecurity, AWS re/Start, and Software Engineering. Our training equips learners not only with technical skills, but also the soft skills needed to secure a job and advance in the industry, through mock interviews, professional development, and resume writing training, as well as support and coaching from MSW-accredited Learner Support Managers and Financial Coaches.

Our expansion across the broader Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex has been made possible by our generous funding partner, The BlackRock Foundation, who has collaborated with Per Scholas Dallas to focus on extending beyond Dallas County. Dallas is one of the nation’s top tech hubs, but there’s a massive talent gap that’s leaving scores of tech jobs vacant. That’s where Per Scholas Dallas comes in – training hundreds of diverse technologists in the skills needed for today’s tech jobs and helping those skilled technologists launch high-growth careers in tech.

The BlackRock Foundation is contributing $5M over the next three years to help Per Scholas expand in six states, including Texas. A portion of the grant is dedicated to supporting our operations in Dallas, enabling Per Scholas to nearly double our impact in Dallas in 2022 compared to the prior year. The grant marks The BlackRock Foundation’s first major investment into job training in Texas.

The BlackRock Foundation’s support will enable Per Scholas to enroll nearly 800 additional learners into a variety of tech courses offered by our Dallas campus through 2023 and grow our footprint in North Texas by expanding remote training courses for individuals in neighboring counties. First up are Collin and Tarrant counties, where access to rigorous tech training is low, but local tech talent demand is high.

Such significant support from The BlackRock Foundation is enabling Per Scholas Dallas to continue preparing our learners for a successful career in technology. “Texas is a melting pot of diversity, multiculturalism, and more,” shared Ciara Owens, Sr. Manager of Recruitment and Admissions. “We’ve had much success connecting many learners across counties and thanks to committed funders like The BlackRock Foundation, we will continue to warmly welcome those from Tarrant County, Collin County, and other surrounding areas to be a part of a major movement in the industry of tech, and that movement starts here at Per Scholas Dallas.”

To learn more about Per Scholas Dallas’ upcoming training tracks, click here!

Per Scholas was recognized as one of 10 new members of Mass Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC), the region’s leading technology association and network for tech executives, entrepreneurs, investors and policy leaders.

MassTLC’s mission is to accelerate innovation, growth, and the development of an inclusive tech ecosystem in Massachusetts…by connecting people from across the technology landscape, providing access to industry-leading content and ideas, and offering a platform for our members to advance their collective interests.

We are honored and excited to become a new member of the Council as we continue to bring positive change to Massachusetts and beyond!

See Per Scholas’ feature here.

On April 6, Per Scholas partner ActivateWork hosted Elevating Colorado’s Economy by Launching Tech Careers, a robust conversation featuring Governor Jared Polis, Denver-area leading employers, ActivateWork Powered by Per Scholas graduates and Per Scholas’ own Chief Development Officer, Caitlyn Brazill.

“Our partnership with ActivateWork is truly unique, and a critical piece of Per Scholas’ ambitious scaling plan,” remarked Caitlyn Brazill. “Together, we can make opportunity ubiquitous in Colorado.”

ActivateWork, powered by Per Scholas, began offering tuition-free technical training in 2020 and to date, has graduated more than 120 diverse individuals in skills ranging from IT Support to Software Engineer to Cybersecurity and more. In 2021 alone, 48 graduates launched careers in tech at companies including, Bank of America, Trimble, FirstBank, Dish Network, and more. ActivateWork, powered by Per Scholas, will train more than 1,200 Denver-based learners in tech skills over the next five years, boosting the region’s economy and continuing to launch tech careers in Colorado. 

On April 28, 2022, Per Scholas President and CEO Plinio Ayala delivered keynote remarks at The Excel Center’s National Conference. The conference, held in Indianapolis, focused on Goodwill Industries’ mission to prepare students for college and ensuring schools are up-to-date for educating community members eager to expand their knowledge – in short, preparing the 21st century workforce.  

Similarly to Goodwill Industries’ mission to prepare individuals to enter the workforce, Per Scholas has been a champion for workforce development for our learners and graduates.  During his keynote address, Plinio highlighted the ways Per Scholas creates more equitable economic opportunity. 

Speaking on Per Scholas and Excel Center training offerings, Plinio reflected, “I know that tomorrow morning, millions of Americans will wake up looking for that one opportunity that will change the trajectory of their lives, the future for their families – and many will go to bed not having found that one chance. Excel Center and Per Scholas must continue to persevere and provide opportunity to as many Americans as we can. Not because it is a good thing to do, but because it is the right thing to do.”

Per Scholas is thrilled to reflect on this month’s expansion to our 18th city, St. Louis! This marks our first campus launch in 2022. We are honored and grateful to Cortex Innovation Community for their warm welcome as part of their strategy to accelerate inclusive economic growth in the region.

We were excited to participate at The Global Center for Cybersecurity’s MiniCon and host a welcome breakfast for community and industry leaders and partners with Cortex. The reception and welcome by Cortex, community partners, and local media has been overwhelmingly positive, including feature pieces by St. Louis Business Journal, St. Louis National Public Radio, Flyover Future, and first-day coverage in The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 

Per Scholas St. Louis will host its inaugural cohort in Cybersecurity this summer in response to the need for Cybersecurity technologists in the community. 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 at the forefront. 

Per Scholas St. Louis is led by Managing Director Dr. Charlie Mackey, Jr. Upon his hiring, Charlie reflected, “I am honored to join Per Scholas and lead our transformational work here in St. Louis. 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,” he continued. 

At the Global Center for Cybersecurity MiniCon, Per Scholas Graduate Elena Bilko participated on a panel discussing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Cybersecurity, with fellow tech training graduates from CyberUp and NPower St. Louis. Elena, a New York Cybersecurity graduate from late 2020 shared her story about being a successful career-switcher from the fashion to the tech industry and highlighted that without Per Scholas, she would not have been able to break into the field.  Elena also shared her commitment to helping spread the word about the power and impact of programs like Per Scholas.  

As we continue to grow based on market demands, the Per Scholas St. Louis team will grow as well. We are currently recruiting for several St.Louis-based roles as we continue to settle into the Gateway to the West.