Through an innovative satellite model leveraging on-site streaming technology, potential new learners will be able to participate in a variety of free training courses in their home boroughs of Staten Island and Queens, led by nationally-recognized Per Scholas from their Bronx and Brooklyn campuses.
Per Scholas is teaming up with the Joan & Alan Bernikow Jewish Community Center of Staten Island as the Staten Island satellite partner to host the course at its Bernikow building. Per Scholas will provide an instructional assistant to be present in the satellite classroom in order to support learners in real-time.
Classes at the JCC will begin on Nov. 1.
Per Scholas anticipates training more than 1,000 New Yorkers in 2022 by leveraging this approach, effectively removing geography and transportation as barriers to individuals interested in pursuing technology training and transitioning into tech careers.
JCC CEO Orit Lender said, "We are so thrilled to be partnering with Per Scholas on this initiative, which will launch our Career Connections programming. Working with Per Scholas, we will help bridge the gap for those in our borough looking for tech jobs and create a stronger future for Staten Island. By linking career training to our already robust social services, we will be able to accommodate Staten Islanders with a wide variety of needs and help them get good-paying jobs in the tech sector. I would like to thank Borough President Oddo, the chamber of commerce, the Staten Island Foundation, and all of our community partners for their crucial work in creating this partnership."
"The new Per Scholas satellite learning model will broaden the opportunity to underserved communities throughout the five boroughs, at a time when we need it most. I look forward to building on this innovative new initiative to ensure that we are diversifying the talent in our tech sector and preparing New Yorkers for the jobs of the 21st century," said Brooklyn Borough President and NYC mayoral hopeful Eric Adams.
"As a company, we've made upskilling and workforce development a priority here, in New York City, and nationally, so partnering with Per Scholas is a natural fit for Amazon," said Carley Graham Garcia, Amazon's New York City Head of External Affairs. "By expanding educational and job training opportunities in Staten Island, this initiative will help more of our neighbors pursue promising careers, while simultaneously building a talent pipeline and attracting greater economic investment to the borough. We thank the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce and Borough President James Oddo for all their work to make this expansion possible."
According to a recent report from the Center for an Urban Future, nearly one in five new job postings in New York City during the pandemic were in technology occupations. Demand for tech jobs across the city was more than triple that of marketing and almost five times higher than demand for hospitality or education. As reported last month, New York City has the second-highest average tech salaries in the nation and experienced a double-digit increase, despite the economic impact of COVID-19.
Over the course of the pandemic, Per Scholas has trained approximately 850 New Yorkers in a virtual setting in a variety of technology tracks including IT support, cybersecurity, software engineering, AWS re/Start, and more. On average, Per Scholas New York graduates earn four times their pre-training wage in their first job after Per Scholas.
"By launching our satellite model here in New York, Per Scholas continues to expand our impact to train even more New Yorkers for thriving careers in tech. This is how we're helping to grow back stronger and fuel an equitable recovery here in New York City's tech sector," said Plinio Ayala, Per Scholas President, and CEO. "With its launch, we unlock more potential for the future of Per Scholas locally and will connect more individuals previously underrepresented in tech to careers in a thriving industry. As we learn more based on data and outcomes, we'll evaluate and adjust this new delivery model, continuing to remove barriers to our nation's future technologists."
Initial support for Per Scholas's satellite model has been generously provided by Amazon and the Tiger Foundation as well as the Altman Foundation, the Aronson Family Foundation, the Clark Foundation, PDT Partners, and the Staten Island Foundation.
To learn more about JCC's Career Connections programs or sign up for training, visit sijcc.org/careerconnections or contact Kathi Indelicato at 718.475.5236.
©2021 Staten Island Advance, N.Y. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
