Comcast Announces $4.5 Million Grant to Per Scholas, Advancing Economic Opportunity Through Digital Skill Building and Tech Training
June 22 2023 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
Investment will fuel expansion of leading
national tech training nonprofit to three new cities in need of
skilled technologists for digital economies
Comcast Corporation today announced a new $4.5 million,
three-year grant to Per Scholas, a leading national nonprofit
advancing economic equity through tech training and career
building. The investment will enable more than 10,000 diverse
adults across 15 markets to launch new tech careers, empowering
individuals from low-wealth communities to earn a collective $450
million in new wages alone. Notably, the funding will also support
Per Scholas expansion to three new markets in need of skilled
technologists for digital economies — allowing for even greater
community impact.
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Comcast Announces $4.5 Million Grant to
Per Scholas, Advancing Economic Opportunity Through Digital Skill
Building and Tech Training (Photo: Business Wire)
“The key to closing the digital divide goes beyond just mere
access to the Internet,” said Dalila Wilson-Scott, EVP and
Chief Diversity Officer for Comcast Corporation & President of
the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation. “With nearly one-third of
U.S. workers lacking the basic digital skills needed to function
and compete in our increasingly digital job market, we need urgent
focus on digital literacy and technical skilling — particularly in
communities of color. By continuing our partnership with Per
Scholas, we are helping to produce measurable outcomes that will
create a more prepared and inclusive workforce and better ensure
that no community is left behind.”
Since 2021, the Per Scholas-Comcast partnership has resulted in
more than 2,500 trained learners across a dozen markets, empowering
nearly 1,700 graduates to launch tech careers, generating more than
$76 million in collective new earnings. Through this new three-year
grant and market expansion, Per Scholas learners will graduate from
the “10,000 Accessible Careers in Tech” program equipped with
in-demand technical and professional skills that prepares them to
succeed in technology careers, with in-house support to identify
employment opportunities during and post-graduation. Per Scholas
current training tracks include AWS re/Start, Cybersecurity, IT
Support, Java Development, and Software Engineering.
“Comcast continually helps Per Scholas unlock potential,
building a future of unlimited possibilities,” said Plinio
Ayala, President and CEO of Per Scholas. “Our partnership is
powerful — Comcast is investing in communities, ensuring digital
skills are ubiquitous across America, and hiring Per
Scholas-trained technologists. Because of Comcast’s support, we
just celebrated our inaugural graduation in Indianapolis, and I’m
looking forward to making impact together in cities and communities
that could benefit most from Per Scholas’s nationally-recognized,
proven tech skills training.”
The 15 markets where the Per Scholas-Comcast partnership is
making a difference every day include Atlanta, Baltimore, Greater
Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Orlando, the National
Capital Region, Newark, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Seattle, New
York, and two new cities to be announced soon. The Per Scholas
grant announcement is part of a $25 million comprehensive funding
initiative specifically targeted at creating economic opportunity
through digital skills building in 2023, and Project UP, Comcast’s
$1 billion commitment to help advance digital equity and build a
future of unlimited possibilities.
About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and
technology company. From the connectivity and platforms we provide,
to the content and experiences we create, our businesses reach
hundreds of millions of customers, viewers, and guests worldwide.
We deliver world-class broadband, wireless, and video through
Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky; produce, distribute, and stream
leading entertainment, sports, and news through brands including
NBC, Telemundo, Universal, Peacock, and Sky; and bring incredible
theme parks and attractions to life through Universal Destinations
& Experiences.
About Per Scholas For more
than 25 years, Per Scholas has been advancing equity and increasing
opportunity across America. Per Scholas unlocks potential for
individuals, communities, and employers through rigorous training
for careers in tech. Partnering with dynamic employer partners,
from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups, we are building
sustainable and diverse talent pipelines, together changing the
face of tech. With national remote training and campuses in 20+
cities and growing, Per Scholas offers tuition-free training in the
most in-demand tech skills, including Cloud, Cybersecurity, Data
Engineering, IT Support, Software Engineering, and more. To date,
more than 20,000 individuals have gained the skills to launch
high-growth tech careers, earning three times their pre-training
wage. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging is in our DNA: 85
percent of learners are people of color, two in five are women, and
more than half have a high school diploma as their highest
education credential. Learn more by visiting PerScholas.org and
follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230621076747/en/
Media:
K. Kim Atterbury k.kim_atterbury@comcast.com
Sara Luciano sLuciano@perscholas.org
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