Bronx-based nonprofit builds bridges to tech jobs

“I was working a bunch of minimum-wage jobs, and it was tiring,” explained Marie Cari, a 2022 2022 graduate of Per Scholas, a tuition-free technology training program designed to steer unemployed or underemployed adults into careers as IT professionals.

Cari is now a software engineer at Bank of America and also working towards her bachelor’s in computer science at Hunter College. “I felt that if I only had a way to learn all this tech stuff and get a job,” she said.  After researching tech boot camps online, she came across Per Scholas online. 

Per Scholas has been helping underemployed adults with hands-on experience for careers in IT since launching in a South Bronx warehouse in 1995. The tuition-free technology training boot camp is now available in six educational satellite classrooms in New York City and in cities across the country. More than 25,000 people have taken the training.

The 13-week, intensive hands-on training program requires no tech experience. But it requires a mandatory, full-time commitment, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and an additional 15-20 hours of study time outside the classroom. 

“Per Scholas doesn’t ask candidates to pay for their education in tuition, but we ask to pay for it in time,” explained Sharlene Richemond, the program’s senior associate of recruitment & admissions.  

The nonprofit is able to offer tuition-free education through grants from major New York City foundations, such as Robin Hood and Tiger, funding from the city and the state, as well as private donors and employers, said Caitlyn Brazill, Per Scholas' chief revenue officer.

A Per Scholas technology training session at the nonprofit’s Bronx campus. Courtesy Per Scholas

Entry into gov’t gigs

Richemond is the first face you see at Per Scholas at the monthly open house, where she explains the ins and outs of the program and assists possible candidates to get a seat in the program. She notes to prospective students what their commitment will involve, including some sacrifices to their personal life. “We advise all candidates to develop a plan, and never leave anything up to chance,” she explained.

After candidates pass a baseline assessment and enroll, they attend a technical skills course, which serves as an introduction to the Microsoft Windows Server operating systems, MAC OS, Linux Server and Google Apps. Next on the curriculum is a software engineering course, which explains the ABCs within IT and cybersecurity.

Once completing the courses, students can gain their CompTIA A+ entry-level certification, which qualifies them for employment opportunities as IT support technicians, system administrators and field technicians. Positions in those fields start at an average of $25 per hour.

“I started as a contractor/intern” at Bank of America, Cari said at the Per Scholas Women in Tech Open House in early August, where she detailed her journey from low-paying gigs to a tech job with the bank. “After working for six months, they promoted me to software engineer. Now that I am working with Bank of America, they pay for my education and my bachelor’s is paid by them,” she added.

Besides employers like Bank of America, Per Scholas have contracted with city, state, and federal agencies. In the city, Per Scholas collaborates with New York City Health + Hospitals, the city’s Department of Education, New York City Transit and the Housing Development Corp. 

“Per Scholas classes are an excellent way to get a job in New York City government,” said Rapheal Ariyo, who graduated last September from Per Scholas’ AWS re/Start Training, a 15-week intensive training that prepares individuals for positions in cloud computing. Ariyo leveraged his up-skilling opportunity into a promotion to systems administrator at the MTA. 

Per Scholas’ professional development team follows-up with graduates for up to two years. The nonprofit says 80 percent of its graduates have found full-time employment within one year of graduating.  

“They have connections with so many people,” said Raj Jakhu, who earned a cybersecurity analyst certification (CySA+) and was the valedictorian of a July Per Scholas graduating class. “They helped us the entire way and it was an amazing process,” he said.

Per Scholas is now gearing up for its fall cohorts. The nonprofit is holding open houses at its Bronx campus on Sept. 16, Oct. 28 and Dec. 12 that will be oriented by Richemond.

Each open house will include a tour of the Bronx Campus, the classrooms and the bookless library. They will cover the application and program requirements. For applicants with English as a second language, ESOL classes are available.

Richemond said she takes pride in the programs’ singular and essential undertaking. “My goal is to keep doing my part to push Per Scholas’ mission forward, unlocking potential,” she said.

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