Leadership transition comes as current MD Kelly Richardson ends tenure at Per Scholas

New York, NY – September 5, 2019 – National tech training nonprofit Per Scholas today announces the appointment of Abe Mendez, current Deputy Managing Director for Newark & New York, as Managing Director of New York. The leadership change comes as longtime Managing Director Kelly Richardson concludes her time at Per Scholas, following a successful six-year tenure that included the launches of the Per Scholas Brooklyn and Newark training centers, as well as the launch of new cybersecurity, cloud, and web development training tracks.

“Per Scholas has seen tremendous regional growth under Kelly’s leadership and is well-positioned for continued success in Newark and New York, due largely to the substantial fundraising, strong corporate relationships, and new training tracks that she contributed to during her tenure,” said Bridgette Gray, EVP of National Program at Per Scholas. “As we continue to evolve and grow as an organization, Abe’s leadership experience and regional vision for Per Scholas make him the perfect successor for the managing director role. We’re excited to see how Per Scholas New York will grow with Abe at the helm and we look forward to hiring a managing director to lead our Newark team.”

In Kelly’s six years at Per Scholas, she oversaw a team enrolling nearly 3,000 individuals across Per Scholas’s New York area training program and built new support services for students while fostering strong community and corporate partnerships, such as serving as Co-Chair of NYC’s Employment and Training Coalition.

As Managing Director overseeing Per Scholas’s campuses in Brooklyn and the Bronx, Abe will focus on driving additional site expansion efforts, meeting ambitious programmatic and fundraising goals within the New York region, while building existing and new corporate partnerships to support Per Scholas graduates.

“I am incredibly excited to lead the Per Scholas New York team as we continue to deliver fantastic outcomes for students and employers alike,” said Abe Mendez. “Over the next few years, we are well-positioned to expand our training programs across New York, particularly with the upcoming launch of the Civic Hall @ Union Square Digital Learning Center, as well as our employer partnerships, which will enable us to strengthen our curriculum offerings and further cultivate a strong talent pipeline into their organizations. I’d like to thank Kelly for her leadership and for setting Per Scholas up for even greater success in New York.”

Prior to joining Per Scholas, Abe served as an Assistant Vice President at Barclays in New York and London where he helped manage the bank’s citizenship partnerships and efforts to engage colleagues in skills-based volunteering programs and campaigns. During his time at Barclays, Abe was a driving force in the company’s partnership with Per Scholas to support the launch of Per Scholas Brooklyn and was a partner in its development of a new cybersecurity training track. He also worked at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a variety of operations and program management roles.

Due to immense initial programmatic demand, the Newark campus will now operate independent of the New York region umbrella, with Bridgette Gray serving as Interim Managing Director of Newark until the company completes its hiring search for a permanent Managing Director for the Newark campus.

On August 9th, Per Scholas Greater Boston celebrated the graduation of its inaugural customized training cohort in Java Development. Powered by Champion partner, TEKsystems, twenty-two students completed their training and will enter into the workforce as newly minted Full-Stack Java Developers. Over ¼ of the class resides in the Boston or Cambridge areas, with others having commuted from locations as close as Brighton and as far as Nashua.

“Per Scholas Greater Boston is on track to train more than 80 individuals this year – with plans to grow over the next several. We will do this with the support of everyone here in this room – and our goal is to deepen our networks so that classes will be diverse representations of the many people, neighborhoods, and backgrounds represented across Greater Boston,” states Alanna Hughes, Managing Director, Customized Training for Per Scholas Greater Boston in her opening remarks.

Keynote speeches were delivered by industry leaders Faith Johnson, VP of Human Resources and Talent Acquisitions at TEKsystems, and Paul English, CTO and Co-Founder of Lola.com.

Per Scholas Greater Boston is the first of three Per Scholas sites this year to launch customized training tracks powered by TEKsystems. Philadelphia and Detroit launched in late July. The partnership aims to provide tuition-free training for more than 540 job-seekers for cutting-edge jobs in technology over the next three years.

“This partnership is truly a testament to what is possible when committed individuals – with varying expertise and a common goal – come together to prepare a diverse and competent technical workforce for the future,” continues Alanna. “Beyond the business opportunity that this presents, we are building pathways of opportunity and economic mobility within the Greater Boston community, and given Per Scholas’s reach, nationally.”

Keynote speakers Faith Johnson, VP of Human Resources and Talent Acquisitions, TEKsystems; Paul English, CTO and Co-Founder, Lola.com

Earlier this week, Per Scholas launched two new training facilities in Philadelphia and Detroit powered by Champion Partner TEKsystems. As “technology-centric cities,” the launch of these new hubs mark a new effort towards building an inclusive, job-ready workforce in each regional market and meeting the rising demand for skilled tech talent.

In 2018, Per Scholas and TEKsystems piloted a training course in Baltimore, MD, which also serves as the home base for TEKsystems. Of its graduating class, the Champion partner hired 60 percent within one month of graduating.

“TEKsystems and Per Scholas share a commitment to creating opportunity. We’re proud to expand our partnership with Per Scholas to close the skills gap and achieve greater diversity in technology,” states Jay Alvather, President, TEKsystems.

The inaugural Philadelphia and Detroit cohorts will complete a 15-week, full-time Network Support training courses similar to the Baltimore pilot from the year before. In addition to learning an extensive curriculum that will prepare students for entry into the tech sector, students will also follow a 9-5 schedule that prepares them for the corporate world. “[Our] curriculum is based around the needs of corporate partners so the companies can hire the students after graduation,” says Damien Howard, Senior VP, Per Scholas, commenting on the model’s investment to develop students’ technical and professional skills.

In June, Per Scholas and TEKsystems launched a Java Web Development cohort in Boston. During this 12-week intensive, students learn to enhance their fundamentals in Java development and excel their understanding of program flow, learning topics such as multithreading, Java networking programming, and the latest features of Java 8. Programming languages such as HTML, CSS, JSP, and Maven are used to wire, create, manage, test and inspect Java objects and projects to deliver quality applications. The graduation for the inaugural cohort is currently slated for August 9th.

Above Images: Detroit students engaged in the Marshmallow Challenge, a group building activity where participants attempt to build a tall freestanding structure using dry spaghetti pasta, string, and marshmallows

For Theresa Chin, Senior VP, Per Scholas, the partnership’s expansion into Philadelphia, Detroit and Boston not only meets a need for providing local IT talent, but in bringing hope and a chance for opportunity to areas where it has often been overlooked:

“We are looking to really provide a contribution to [these communities] by offering these types of programs and providing opportunity to people who normally would not be able to take advantage of other opportunities.”

To learn more about this partnership and upcoming courses, please visit https://www.platformbyps.org/our-sponsors/teksystems.

To learn more about our programs in Philadelphia, Boston, and Detroit, please visit us at https://www.platformbyps.org/ and apply today!

Earlier this week, Per Scholas launched two new training facilities in Philadelphia and Detroit powered by Champion Partner TEKsystems. As “technology-centric cities,” the launch of these new hubs mark a new effort towards building an inclusive, job-ready workforce in each regional market and meeting the rising demand for skilled tech talent.

In 2018, Per Scholas and TEKsystems piloted a training course in Baltimore, MD, which also serves as the home base for TEKsystems. Of its graduating class, the Champion partner hired 60 percent within one month of graduating.

“TEKsystems and Per Scholas share a commitment to creating opportunity. We’re proud to expand our partnership with Per Scholas to close the skills gap and achieve greater diversity in technology,” states Jay Alvather, President, TEKsystems.

The inaugural Philadelphia and Detroit cohorts will complete a 15-week, full-time Network Support training courses similar to the Baltimore pilot from the year before. In addition to learning an extensive curriculum that will prepare students for entry into the tech sector, students will also follow a 9-5 schedule that prepares them for the corporate world. “[Our] curriculum is based around the needs of corporate partners so the companies can hire the students after graduation,” says Damien Howard, Senior VP, Per Scholas, commenting on the model’s investment to develop students’ technical and professional skills.

In June, Per Scholas and TEKsystems launched a Java Web Development cohort in Boston. During this 12-week intensive, students learn to enhance their fundamentals in Java development and excel their understanding of program flow, learning topics such as multithreading, Java networking programming, and the latest features of Java 8. Programming languages such as HTML, CSS, JSP, and Maven are used to wire, create, manage, test and inspect Java objects and projects to deliver quality applications. The graduation for the inaugural cohort is currently slated for August 9th.

For Theresa Chin, Senior VP, Per Scholas, the partnership’s expansion into Philadelphia, Detroit and Boston not only meets a need for providing local IT talent, but in bringing hope and a chance for opportunity to areas where it has often been overlooked:

“We are looking to really provide a contribution to [these communities] by offering these types of programs and providing opportunity to people who normally would not be able to take advantage of other opportunities.”

To learn more about this partnership and upcoming courses, please visit https://www.platformbyps.org/our-sponsors/teksystems.

To learn more about our programs in Philadelphia, Boston, and Detroit, please visit us at https://www.platformbyps.org/ and apply today!

Earlier this week, Per Scholas launched two new training facilities in Philadelphia and Detroit powered by Champion Partner TEKsystems. The launch of these new hubs within technology-driven cities marks a new effort towards building an inclusive, job-ready workforce in each regional market and meeting the rising demand for skilled tech talent.

In 2018, Per Scholas and TEKsystems piloted a training course in Baltimore, MD, which also serves as the home base for TEKsystems. Of its graduating class, the Champion partner hired 60 percent within one month of graduating.

“TEKsystems and Per Scholas share a commitment to creating opportunity. We’re proud to expand our partnership with Per Scholas to close the skills gap and achieve greater diversity in technology,” states Jay Alvather, President, TEKsystems.

The inaugural Philadelphia and Detroit cohorts will complete a 15-week, full-time Network Support training courses similar to the Baltimore pilot from the year before. In addition to learning an extensive curriculum that will prepare students for entry into the tech sector, students will also follow a 9-5 schedule that prepares them for the corporate world. “[Our] curriculum is based around the needs of corporate partners so the companies can hire the students after graduation,” says Damien Howard, Senior VP, Per Scholas, commenting on the model’s investment to develop students’ technical and professional skills.

In June, Per Scholas and TEKsystems launched a Java Web Development cohort in Boston. During this 12-week intensive, students learn to enhance their fundamentals in Java development and excel their understanding of program flow, learning topics such as multithreading, Java networking programming, and the latest features of Java 8. Programming languages such as HTML, CSS, JSP, and Maven are used to wire, create, manage, test and inspect Java objects and projects to deliver quality applications. The graduation will take place on August 9th.

Above Images: Detroit students engaged in the Marshmallow Challenge, a group building activity where participants attempt to build a tall freestanding structure using dry spaghetti pasta, string, and marshmallows; students also learn about breaks/fixes as well; Detroit cohort photo.

For Theresa Chin, Senior VP, Per Scholas, the partnership’s expansion into Philadelphia, Detroit and Boston not only meets a need for providing local IT talent, but also brings in hope and a chance for opportunity to areas where it has often been overlooked:

“We are looking to really provide a contribution to [these communities] by offering these types of programs and providing opportunity to people who normally would not be able to take advantage of other opportunities.”

To learn more about this partnership and upcoming courses, please visit https://www.platformbyps.org/our-sponsors/teksystems.

To learn more about our programs in Philadelphia, Boston, and Detroit, please visit us at https://www.platformbyps.org/ and apply today!

On July 26th, Per Scholas Newark celebrated their first graduating cohort in IT Support. The commencement activities occurred at the historic Newark Public Library, which traces its beginnings to the Newark Library Association formed in 1847.

Thank you to all the family and friends who attended and celebrated alongside of our graduates and their incredible accomplishments!

Per Scholas Newark Graduation Program

WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS
Dante Wade, Manager, Employer Partnerships, Per Scholas

GUEST SPEAKERS & REMARKS
David Heifitz, Vice President, Global Business and Technology Solutions (GBTS), Prudential

VALEDICTORIAN REMARKS
Jeremy Morel

PRESENTATION OF CORE VALUES AWARDS
Sierra Harvey, Manager, Career Advancement, Per Scholas

CLOSING REMARKS
Jade Nesbeth, Project Manager, Global Security, Prudential
Per Scholas Alumna

On July 26th, Per Scholas Newark celebrated their first graduating cohort in IT Support. The commencement activities occurred at the historic Newark Public Library, which traces its beginnings to the Newark Library Association formed in 1847.

Thank you to all the family and friends who attended and celebrated alongside of our graduates and their incredible accomplishments!

Per Scholas Newark Graduation Program

WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS
Dante Wade, Manager, Employer Partnerships, Per Scholas

GUEST SPEAKERS & REMARKS
David Heifitz, Vice President, Global Business and Technology Solutions (GBTS), Prudential

VALEDICTORIAN REMARKS
Jeremy Morel

PRESENTATION OF CORE VALUES AWARDS
Sierra Harvey, Manager, Career Advancement, Per Scholas

CLOSING REMARKS
Jade Nesbeth, Project Manager, Global Security, Prudential
Per Scholas Alumna

On July 26th, Per Scholas Newark celebrated their first graduating cohort in IT Support. The commencement activities occurred at the historic Newark Public Library, which traces its beginnings to the Newark Library Association formed in 1847.

Thank you to all the family and friends who attended and celebrated alongside of our graduates and their incredible accomplishments!

Per Scholas Newark Graduation Program

WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS
Dante Wade, Manager, Employer Partnerships, Per Scholas

GUEST SPEAKERS & REMARKS
David Heifitz, Vice President, Global Business and Technology Solutions (GBTS), Prudential

VALEDICTORIAN REMARKS
Jeremy Morel

PRESENTATION OF CORE VALUES AWARDS
Sierra Harvey, Manager, Career Advancement, Per Scholas

CLOSING REMARKS
Jade Nesbeth, Project Manager, Global Security, Prudential
Per Scholas Alumna

On June 25th, Per Scholas Greater Boston celebrated the graduation of its inaugural cohort in IT Support. The 11 graduates completed 10 weeks of intensive training and will begin their tech careers as motivated, prepared candidates.

Click here to watch the graduation livestream.

Grant from Cognizant U.S. Foundation will fund training for 150 students in Manhattan.

June 24, 2019 – Today, Civic Hall and Per Scholas officially launched a pilot technology training program for New York City non-profit agencies and residents, with funding from the Cognizant U.S. Foundation. Administered by Per Scholas, a nationally-recognized non-profit and professional development organization, the program will train 150 individuals in next-generation technology to help them find employment in the New York City area. The results of this initial pilot will be used to develop additional program offerings as part of a larger digital learning initiative backed by Civic Hall, and hosted in the new Civic Hall @ Union Square technology hub.

The first cohort of students will participate in an 18-week Programming Basics and Application Developer course, where they will be introduced to the fundamentals of Java development and learn how to build and deliver quality applications. The pilot program will be held in the Flatiron District at General Assembly.

“This partnership and pilot are essential to ensuring that the future workers of our city are able to keep up with the rapidly changing needs of the 21st century economy,” said Andrew Rasiej, Founder and CEO, Civic Hall.”Our vision for Civic Hall @ Union Square is to create a new institution to provide up to date digital training systems in support of our surrounding communities in partnership with the Cognizant U.S. Foundation & Per Scholas.”

Future classes born from this partnership will be developed to coincide with the opening of Civic Hall @ Union Square, a new technology innovation hub that will include a 40,000 sq. ft. Digital Learning Center. The space, heralded by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and unanimously approved by the City Council, will be completed in 2020.

“We see firsthand the ever-growing need for technical talent in today’s workforce,” said Allen Shaheen, Board Member, Cognizant U.S. Foundation. “And today, we are thrilled to help bring new training programs and new opportunities to people across New York City.”

“Today marks an important milestone in our work to equip communities with the skills and experience to thrive in today’s economy,” said Kristen Titus, Executive Director, Cognizant U.S. Foundation. “With this launch, we are excited to make technology training programs available to communities across New York—and open pathways to technology jobs everywhere.”

“The opportunity that this partnership has provided New Yorkers is insurmountable,” said Plinio Ayala, CEO of Per Scholas. “Members of this program will be fully equipped to stand up to the growing need for specialized tech talent in today’s workforce, and I’m very eager to watch them excel.”

A kick-off event will be held on Tuesday, June 25, from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM at Civic Hall to celebrate the launch of the program. There, the incoming class will have the opportunity to network with Per Scholas alumni and representatives from Civic Hall, Per Scholas, and Cognizant U.S. Foundation.

Interested in joining us?

Our next Application Developer course is currently accepting applications for its September 16th cohort. To learn more about this program, please visit https://www.platformbyps.org/nyc/application-developer and apply today!

About Per Scholas

Per Scholas is a national nonprofit that drives positive and proven social change in communities across the country. Through rigorous and tuition-free technology training and professional development, we prepare motivated and curious adults who are unemployed or underemployed for successful careers as technology professionals, and we create onramps to businesses in need of their talents. Today we provide our solutions in eight cities across the country and to date, Per Scholas has enrolled 10,000 individuals, helping them build lasting, life changing skills and careers in technology.

About Civic Hall

Civic Hall is the nation’s leading center for learning and collaboration focused on advancing technology and problem solving for the public good. Our mission is to embed civic values where technology and society meet, and help people discover powerful new ways to embody those values in their work and life. At Civic Hall, entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, government staff, community organizers, philanthropists, software developers, data scientists, and media makers come together to share knowledge and solve pressing public interest problems.

About the Cognizant U.S. Foundation

The Cognizant U.S. Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation supporting STEM education and skills training across the United States. Launched in 2018 with an initial $100 million investment from Cognizant, the Foundation has since awarded $12 million to organizations working to educate and train the next generation of workers in communities throughout the U.S.