Per Scholas and TEKsystems Launch Training Partnership to Support Diverse Talent Pipeline for Growing U.S. Tech Hubs
March 28, 2019 | HANOVER, MD
The Partnership Will Provide Tuition-Free Training for More than 540 Job Seekers in Detroit, Philadelphia and Boston Through Training Tracks Customized for Specific Market Demands
Today, national tech training nonprofit Per Scholas and full-stack technology services provider TEKsystems announced the launch of a talent transformation partnership at Diverse by Design, hosted by the National Society of Black Engineers at their 45th Annual Convention. The partnership will develop customized training tracks in the technology sector and will initially support job seekers in Detroit, Philadelphia and Boston. This announcement is the latest joint effort by Per Scholas and TEKsystems to develop a strong and diverse talent pipeline for emerging U.S. tech hubs.
Over the next three years, Per Scholas will train at least 540 people for cutting-edge jobs in these technology-centric cities. TEKsystems’ investment will connect motivated and talented individuals with the critical skills employers are demanding across each market. Bringing this partnership to scale will ensure that future career opportunities are accessible by all communities and that equity is a primary consideration as regional and national economies develop. Nationally, 87 percent of Per Scholas students are people of color, and 30 percent are women.
Successful graduates will partner with TEKsystems recruiters in each city and be given access to the full suite of graduate services Per Scholas provides with two years of alumni follow-up and support. Each training track will provide practical, hands-on training to participants, along with long-term career guidance and placement support. Skills-based training tracks will be determined from the demand in each local market and may include skills relevant to cyber security, software engineering and data engineering, among others.
“We are thrilled to expand our engagement with TEKsystems to the diverse and vibrant cities of Detroit, Philadelphia and Boston. There is a rising demand for skilled tech talent across each of these tech hubs, and we look forward to supporting TEKsystems’ continued efforts to build an inclusive, resourceful and job-ready workforce,” says Per Scholas President and CEO Plinio Ayala.
Since Per Scholas and TEKsystems first partnered in 2013, TEKsystems has hired over 400 Per Scholas graduates across all their locations, reinforcing Per Scholas’ credentials as a hiring partner and training service provider. TEKsystems invested in a Per Scholas pilot in its home city of Baltimore in 2018, hiring 60 percent of graduates within a month of completion.
“TEKsystems and Per Scholas share a commitment to creating opportunity,” says Jay Alvather, president, TEKsystems. “We’re proud to expand our partnership with Per Scholas and work together to close the skills gap and achieve greater diversity in technology.”
Per Scholas recently announced a five-year growth capital campaign to support scaling its proven model of effective IT training and placement across new regions. Ballmer Group, an inaugural supporter of this campaign, has provided Per Scholas with funding to develop the capacity and infrastructure that will allow for deeper collaboration and customization of training tracks with employers like TEKsystems.
“We know that quality training, coaching and work experiences can help create new pathways to economic mobility,” says Terri Ludwig, president of Ballmer Group Philanthropy. “We are thrilled to support Per Scholas as they strengthen their impact with new partnerships and scale their proven model to new cities in the U.S.”
For media inquiries, please contact: Kara Moran, Public Relations Manager
For program information, please contact: Alice Zients, Per Scholas Program Manager
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: Atlanta, GA; Greater Boston, MA; Greater Cincinnati, OH; Columbus, OH; Dallas, TX; the National Capital Region; Newark, NJ and New York, NY. To date, Per Scholas has trained 9,000 individuals, helping them build lasting, life-changing skills and careers in technology.
About TEKsystems®
We’re partners in transformation. We help clients activate ideas and solutions to take advantage of a new world of opportunity. We are a team of 80,000 strong, working with over 6,000 clients, including 80% of the Fortune 500 across North America, Europe and Asia. As an industry leader in Full-Stack Technology Services, Talent Services and real-world application, we work with progressive leaders to drive change. That’s the power of true partnership. TEKsystems is an Allegis Group company.
