Since 2018, BlackRock and The BlackRock Foundation have granted $7.8 million nationally to support Per Scholas programs across Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, New York, Orlando, Seattle, and North Carolina, expanding training capacity and access to high-growth technology careers. At scale, BlackRock’s cumulative investment has helped enable Per Scholas to train at least 5,600 learners and is projected to generate more than $166 million in new annual earnings in low- and moderate-income communities nationwide. In addition to philanthropic investment, BlackRock employees have contributed through mentoring, curriculum engagement, and volunteer support.
“We’ve partnered with Per Scholas since 2018 because we share a simple but deeply held belief: that expanding access to opportunity is essential, and that closing the skills gap is one of the most powerful ways to do that,” said Marc Balizer while accepting the award. “That belief is closely aligned with BlackRock’s broader mission of helping more and more people experience financial well being—not only through the capital we steward on behalf of our clients, but also through philanthropic partnerships that support skills building, upward mobility, and long-term economic security.”
The BlackRock Foundation’s grant to Per Scholas North Carolina is helping drive rural workforce development and economic recovery in communities impacted by job displacement, including Western North Carolina. Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, the need for expanded economic opportunity became even more urgent. Through the partnership, more than 300 North Carolinians have earned industry-recognized credentials and launched careers in fields such as cybersecurity, software engineering, and data analytics, with projected first-year wages totaling more than $9.6 million for graduates.
