Funding will support economic recovery and job training in communities impacted by Hurricane Helene
Asheville, NC – February 12, 2025 – The BlackRock Foundation has awarded a $1 million, two-year grant to Per Scholas North Carolina, a nationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to advancing economic mobility through building sustainable and inclusive tech talent pipelines. The investment will expand Per Scholas’ footprint in Western North Carolina, providing workforce training programs in underserved rural communities to fill tech job vacancies across the state.
In partnership with Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech), the program will offer bootcamp-style IT training, equipping individuals with the skills needed to secure remote, high-wage tech jobs.
The grant addresses a significant tech workforce gap in the state. While North Carolina’s booming IT sector has seen an 18% increase in unique job postings since last year,1 many rural communities continue to struggle with low wages and limited job opportunities. The BlackRock Foundation’s investment will help Per Scholas bridge this gap, equipping more rural North Carolinians with the skills to access high-paying careers in a rapidly growing field.
"By supporting Per Scholas in North Carolina, we’re helping expand access to high-quality training, equipping people in underserved communities with the skills they need to thrive in the rapidly growing tech sector," said Claire Chamberlain, President of The BlackRock Foundation. "This work aligns with our mission at The BlackRock Foundation—creating long-term opportunities for economic growth and security."
This grant comes at a critical moment as Western North Carolina works to rebuild from the devastation of Hurricane Helene, which left more than 8,000 people unemployed.2 This initiative will help support the recovery by contributing to long-term economic opportunity in the region.
"As part of our mission to provide economic opportunities for our community, we have been developing a partnership with Per Scholas for over a year. We are fortunate that the pieces of the partnership have come together when our community needs it most,” said Deborah D. Bailey Vice President, Economic and Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. “This funding and training will help residents gain skills that provide a living wage and hopefully encourages people to remain in our region following the devastation from the hurricane."
The funding will help train 530 students across the state over the next two years, with a long-term goal of reaching 2,000 North Carolinians by 2029. The first IT Support cohort launches on February 24, 2025. Interested applicants can learn more and apply at perscholas.org.
“Since our launch in 2020, Per Scholas North Carolina has created economic mobility opportunities for thousands across our state through no-cost, technical skills training and employer connections. We're excited to work alongside A-B Tech, with the incredibly generous support of BlackRock, to bring these opportunities for economic mobility and recovery to Western North Carolina,” States Michael Terrell, Per Scholas North Carolina’s Senior Managing Director.
This grant is part of a larger effort at The BlackRock Foundation to expand economic security across the US by partnering with non-governmental organizations in local economies to scale their impact. By equipping local leaders with the resources to drive meaningful change, the Foundation aims to strengthen economic security and help more people stay on the path to a secure retirement.
About The BlackRock Foundation
Guided by BlackRock’s purpose to help more and more people experience financial well-being, The BlackRock Foundation focuses on increasing economic security for low- to moderate- income households by helping them earn, save and invest – earlier, more often and for their futures. With our partners, we aim to support the building of a financial safety net to protect against shocks that widen disparities and make it easier to build wealth and support upward mobility.
About Per Scholas
Per Scholas is proud to celebrate 30 years of fostering economic mobility by giving individuals from diverse backgrounds access to high-growth tech careers. Since 1995, we’ve offered no-cost tech training to more than 30,000 technologists in the most sought-after tech skills, generating over $2 billion in increased personal earnings. By 2030, we aim to train and upskill 25,000 technologists annually—building on three decades of impact. With 20+ campuses and remote programs, we partner with employers—from Fortune 500 companies to startups—to create inclusive talent pipelines in fields like Cloud, Cybersecurity, Data Engineering, IT Support, and Software Engineering. 85%+ of our learners are people of color, 40% are women, and more than half hold a high school diploma as their highest educational credential. We are building a future where successful careers in tech are accessible to everyone, driving transformative economic change.
Learn more at PerScholas.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.
About A-B Tech
Founded in 1959 in the heart of Asheville, A-B Tech is the largest higher education institution in Western North Carolina, serving more than 24,000 students a year in Buncombe and Madison counties. One of 58 community colleges in the NC Community College System, A-B Tech offers 150 degrees, diplomas, and certificates, as well as a wide range of workforce training and continuing education programs. A-B Tech includes the main Asheville campus, A-B Tech Enka (home of the A-B Tech Small Business Center and Business Incubation Program, Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast and N.C. BioNetwork), A-B Tech Madison, A-B Tech Woodfin, the Goodwill Center and the ABCCM Transformation Village in West Asheville, and a future location at Biltmore Park West. Learn more at abtech.edu.
