Per Scholas Chicago Provides Access To Tech Certifications

Per Scholas is helping to train and certify people in IT as the demand for tech sector employees grows. Photo provided by Mekky Media.
Per Scholas is helping to train and certify people in IT as the demand for tech sector employees grows. Photo provided by Mekky Media.

Per Scholas Chicago Provides Access To Tech Certifications

By Tia Carol Jones

Henrietta Eghan wanted a career in technical writing and was set to get her degree when she had to shift gears to become a full-time caregiver. Not wanting to give up on her dream, she researched programs that could move her closer to her goal. She found Per Scholas  and has earned her Google IT Professional Support certification, CompTIA A+ certification and she is currently studying to get her CompTIA Network + certification, which she is using while working as an IT service desk specialist at a hospital.

“Per Scholas gave the me that opportunity, that financial security, that educational background and that community that would give me the network and the resources that I needed to step into the tech field,” Eghan said.

Per Scholas provides in-demand technical skills and upskills with the goal to earn industry-recognized credentials. It was founded 38 years ago in New York, hiring local community members in the Bronx to refurbish used computers. Kate Doyle, Managing Director at Per Scholas, said they found that a lot of the community members were going on to get jobs in IT, which they saw as a workforce development opportunity. Per Scholas offers faster, debt-free pathways to acquiring IT credentials in 25 markets across the country, including Chicago. Doyle said that Chicago has been earmarked for a lot of growth because of the opportunities for available technology roles and the demand.

“There’s a lot of low- to moderate- income Chicagoans who have, thus far, been locked out of the tech sector and we want to help them upskill and obtain roles in tech,” Doyle said.

Per Scholas has been operating in Chicago since 2020 and Doyle said that this year, the organization will train 175 people in its immersive tech program. She said that by 2030, Per Scholas’ goal is to train 500 learners a year annually at its Chicago campus, which is located in the Loop. At the Chicago campus, there is an IT support pathway and a cybersecurity pathway. Next year, Per Scholas will roll out a data center technician training program and a healthcare technology program.

Doyle said that in the last five years, Per Scholas has had a great impact in the community, training nearly 700 people. She said 80% of Per Scholas graduates are placed in roles in the tech sector. She said, on average, the graduates are earning three times the wages they come in earning. Per Scholas also has career coaches and talent solutions team who provide support to the graduates.

Eghan said that because there are so many people from so many different walks of life that came to Per Scholas, she said it was a privilege to participate in the program. She said being surrounded by people with varied experience and backgrounds was both humbling and motivating. She said she used it as an opportunity to learn as much as she could, asking as many questions as she could in order to grasp the knowledge she needed to be successful.

Eghan said the program provides the appropriate resources in order for people to pursue their dreams. She added that the 0% loan interest also removed the kind of financial stress that could have held her back; and not having to worry about the finances gave her the space to focus on learning completely.

“They never made me feel out of place. Looking at how everybody from all different walks of life came here gave me the confidence and reminded me that everyone’s journey looks different. Looking at all those people coming to Per Scholas with a similar dream to me helped me stay motivated through the tough times,” she said. She added that it helped her see that she belonged in tech just as much as anyone else.

For more information about Per Scholas Chicago, visit perscholas.org/locations/chicago.


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