As a result of more than 500,000 cybersecurity positions currently unfilled across the country, The Biden-Harris Administration and the federal government are overhauling the federal hiring process to become fully skills-based for an entire series of technical employees. By opening the talent pool up to individuals who have gained experience through training programs and apprenticeships, more cyber talent can enter the workforce without needing to meet a college degree requirement. Along with this advancement, the White House Office of the National Cyber Director announced organizations, including Per Scholas, committing to help build the U.S. cybersecurity workforce.

Read the rest of the White House Press Release here!

A recent CIO Dive piece, Unlocking tech innovation through DEI: Insights from TEKsystems and Per Scholas, examines insights from a 2024 TEKsystems DEI report, emphasizing the progress that has been made and the work that still needs to be done. While there has been increasing recognition of DEI’s importance, many IT professionals remain indifferent. This report identifies challenges, particularly in gender diversity and mentorship programs, and acknowledges that 66% of employees recognize that their organization’s DEI policies could be improved. This article further advocates for IT decision-makers to reaffirm the importance of diversity across their organizations and calls for collaboration between company leaders and HR to do so, including investments in diverse talent and establishing robust mentoring programs. 

Read the full article 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 Columbus Senior Managing Director Jenn Fowler Howard was featured in The Columbus Dispatch for her op-ed centered around embracing diversity in Columbus.

“The heart of Columbus’s tech success story shouldn’t just be about buildings or businesses; we must make room for diversity by empowering individuals from all backgrounds,” Fowler Howard writes. “For me, the future of Columbus’s tech workforce will embody inclusivity and diversity — unlocking hidden potential at every stop, so long as we do the work now to make it happen.”

Read the full op-ed here.

A recent Forbes article written by Per Scholas’ funding partner Stand Together discusses the challenge of finding qualified job applicants. Stand Together suggests  innovative financing models can bridge the gap between workforce needs and individual aspirations. These models tie tuition to employment outcomes, incentivizing education providers to deliver relevant skills and students to invest time in programs that lead to high earning potential. Per Scholas is specifically highlighted as a successful example of an innovative financing model offering free IT training and career support, helping individuals achieve career goals debt-free.

Read about the innovative education finance models here!

A recent CIO Dive article highlights Per Scholas and TEKsystems’ years-long partnership as the answer to businesses’ IT talent needs. By turning to nontraditional talent pipelines powered by public-private partnerships, businesses can find diverse talent on the cutting edge that will both shape long-term business growth and diversity in the tech industry. Already through this partnership, 1,000+ Per Scholas graduates have been placed in full-time positions with TEKsystems clients.

Read more about our partnership with TEKsystems and how we are building a diverse tech talent pipeline together here.

Per Scholas CEO Plinio Ayala was recently featured in the New York Times article profiling OneTen’s equity-for-all diversity initiatives. Plinio shared his agreement for eliminating degree-based job requirements and how skills-based hiring and promotion can benefit all workers.

More than 60 percent of all American workers do not have four-year college degrees, so converting to a skills-based hiring system can be valuable to all companies looking for talent.

Read the rest of the article here!

In a recent Triple Pundit article, Per Scholas’ Chief Enterprise Solutions Officer Damien Howard shared his thoughts on how organizations must invest in learning, embracing, and upskilling staff in AI in order to future-proof their operations. “AI can increase efficiency by 30 percent, at minimum, in certain areas,” Howard said. “Companies have an immediate opportunity to become more efficient with less of a financial investment.” AI is not perfect, however, and Damien raises concerns about potential biases in AI systems – highlighting the importance of having diverse teams involved in development and implementation to ensure equitable outcomes.

Read the rest of Damien’s assessment of AI in the workplace here.

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 Columbus was featured on a recent Out N About Columbus segment on Sunday, August 20. The show focuses on events, entertainment, and travel around Columbus, and often has segments dedicated to important happenings around town. 

On the segment, “Learn Something New,” hosts Mike Killburn and Renee Joseph discussed different topics, including Per Scholas Columbus’s technology training. Per Scholas Columbus Managing Director Jenn Fowler Howard underscored the importance of tech training in Columbus and the power of our learners. In her interview, highlighted the ways Per SCholas eliminates barriers, helping unlock potential for learners and alumni to launch thriving careers. Watch the full feature here, starting at timestamp 9:23!