Executive Summary
Despite a booming economy, 44% of U.S. workers earn <$15/hour, and the percentages among people of color and women are even higher. The problem isn’t a shortage of high-quality jobs: employers post thousands they struggle to fill. Rather, in a digital economy, getting and keeping good jobs requires specialized knowledge, skills and social capital that many jobseekers lack. Per Scholas, the nation’s leading technology workforce development organization collaborates with employers to design accelerated, immersive training for high-quality technology jobs they need to fill. We recruit un/underemployed adults (18+) to take those courses and help graduates -- a large majority from communities of color -- launch successful tech careers. Collaboratively with MDRC and The Financial Clinic, we propose an ambitious national scaling agenda training 20,000+ low-income students by 2025, equipping them with lifelong tools to thrive, while simultaneously helping power the economic development of entire cities and regions.
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Accomplishments
Per Scholas will finish 2023 having enrolled more than 4,700 new immersive learners, and plans to serve an even larger number in 2024. Major accomplishments over the past year have included opening two new locations in Los Angeles and Indianapolis, organizing a comprehensive Career Accelerator upskilling and advancement program for alumni, continuing to grow our customized training and other employer-paid talent solutions, launching a new interest-free learner loan fund in partnership with Social Finance and Google, and testing numerous program innovations to improve quality and lower costs. In 2024, Per Scholas plans to enroll at least 6,500 learners across programs and expand to at least two additional U.S. cities/regions. We will also chart the next phase of our strategic growth and likely announce a new capital campaign to achieve our new goals.
