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New virtual tech training in Queens

Workforce development company Per Scholas has been offering free IT, cybersecurity, and software engineering training at its locations in Brooklyn and the Bronx for over a decade. However, a new technology is allowing the organization to expand throughout New York in a creative way.
Per Scholas’ Satellite Classroom program utilizes cloud-based technology to equip pre-existing facilities with the tools necessary to teach technological skills.
Rather than having to completely equip a new location with millions of dollars worth of equipment, Per Scholas is partnering with local organizations and using the satellite program to quickly expand its reach throughout the city.
Commonpoint Queens has partnered with Per Scholas to transform a portion of its Elmhurst site into a new classroom.
Speaking at an event in Per Scholas’ Brooklyn location at 630 Flushing Avenue, Commonpoint Queens CEO Danielle Ellman explained how the new technology will help people pursue new careers while minimizing travel time.
“At Commonpoint, we’ve been addressing unemployment and underemployment for over ten years with training and workforce development programs,” Ellman said. “By removing the barrier of transportation, we can make it much easier for people to learn these skills.”
Commonpoint Queens was chosen for a number of reasons, chief among them being the massive effect the coronavirus pandemic had in Elmhurst.
“Elmhurst was the epicenter of the pandemic, and there was an unemployment percentage of 22 percent at one point,” Ellman said. “Much of the job loss in our borough were jobs that had no chance of returning, like restaurants or businesses closing down.
“That made us want to focus on career development,” she added. “We don’t want people to feel like their dreams need to be deferred. Instead, we want people to feel like they have options.”
In addition to Elmhurst, Per Scholas is currently in the process of opening satellite classrooms in Staten Island and Manhattan. The company will also continue to operate its own locations in Brooklyn and the Bronx, which together have graduated and employed over 500 students since their creation.
“I never thought tech would be an option for me,” said alumni Matt Bogata. “I had been working in hospitality since I was 15, first at restaurants and then at bars. I was furloughed from my job at the beginning of the pandemic, but that’s when I found this program. Fast forward five months and now I am working as a tech specialist at a law firm.”
Per Scholas is supported by a number of major corporate sponsors, including Amazon and Barclays. During the event, representatives from both companies spoke about the need for an equitable return to the workplace following the pandemic.
“Barclays is a bank, but in our 331-year history we have learned that when societies succeed, banks succeed,” said Richarrd Haworth, Barclays CEO for the Americas. “Investing in the ability of people to reach their potential is the best thing we can do to foster growth for everyone in the communities we serve.”
Borough President Eric Adams delivered the event’s keynote address, discussing the role technology has played in his own personal development.
“Often when we think about technology, we think it’s something that’s out of reach,” Adams said. “I studied computer science and then became part of the original small team of programmers that worked on the early versions of Compstat for the city.
“There was a 356 percent increase in startups in Brooklyn over the past five years,” he added. “When kids from Brownsville and other neighborhoods enlist in this program, they will be able to mix their new knowledge with their life experience. ”
Adams called on the corporate sponsors in the room to maintain their commitment to serving young people in the city.
“We have to send a message to tech companies that we cannot let the best talent sit on the bench,” Adams said. “A company shouldn’t be able to grow while the opportunities for young people are decreasing.”

Queens Tech Council hosts first networking event

A forecast for thunderstorms didn’t stop members of the tech community from attending the first networking event hosted by the Queens Chamber of Commerce’s new Queens Tech Council.
“I’ve built an amazing network for myself just by being at these events,” said Mo Faisal, founder and CEO of The Money Hub and FinGem and co-founder of Impact Hub New York Metropolitan Area, who attended the event at ICONYC Brewing in Long Island City. “Every small business owner, entrepreneur or anyone who prospectively wants to build something or be a leader has to go out there and talk to people.”
The Queens Tech Council launched in February with the goal of promoting the tech industry in the borough. Council members include representatives from Google, Facebook, Amazon, Pursuit, LIC Partnership, Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, Crown Castle, Cornell Tech, and The Business Incubator Association of New York State.
The council will focus on ensuring Queens is producing the talent companies look for, getting the resources and capital tech companies need, and helping businesses in traditional industries successfully integrate new technologies
“We work with local colleges and businesses who have educational opportunities, whether it’s apprenticeships, upscaling opportunities for the current workforce or anything that can bring more skilled workers into the tech industry,” said Michelle Watson, a technical specialist at the NYC Small Business Resource Network and Queens Tech Council member.
The Queens Tech Council has two working groups. The policy and government group works to highlight the tech industry’s needs to elected officials, while the investment and industry group works to secure both public and private funding.
Chamber president and CEO Tom Grech discussed some of the local tech industry’s recent accomplishments, including the rapid mass production of ventilators during the height of COVID-19 by Boyce Technologies in Long Island City. Borough President Donovan Richards highlighted the role the tech community will play in the future of the borough and, ultimately, the city.
“We want Queens to be the template for where we need to go, but we can only do that with you,” he told the crowd. “That means networking, relationships, and making sure we’re all rowing in the same direction.”
Rachel Loeb, president and CEO at New York City Economic Development Corporation, was the keynote speaker at Tuesday’s event. She said EDC and NYC Small Business Resource Network collaborated to ensure the survival and success of local small businesses during unprecedented times.
“We’ve been working together as a partnership so that we could get crucial skills when COVID hit and resources to small businesses so that they can survive, whether it be digitizing their business or just staying open,” she said.
Just last week, Loeb attended a groundbreaking ceremony for Bartlett Dairy’s new headquarters in Queens. Additionally, Hyatt Regency JFK recently celebrated its grand opening at Resorts World New York City, and JetBlue announced that its headquarters will remain in Long Island City.

Queens Tech Council hosts first networking event

A forecast for thunderstorms didn’t stop members of the tech community from attending the first networking event hosted by the Queens Chamber of Commerce’s new Queens Tech Council.
“I’ve built an amazing network for myself just by being at these events,” said Mo Faisal, founder and CEO of The Money Hub and FinGem and co-founder of Impact Hub New York Metropolitan Area, who attended the event at ICONYC Brewing in Long Island City. “Every small business owner, entrepreneur or anyone who prospectively wants to build something or be a leader has to go out there and talk to people.”
The Queens Tech Council launched in February with the goal of promoting the tech industry in the borough. Council members include representatives from Google, Facebook, Amazon, Pursuit, LIC Partnership, Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, Crown Castle, Cornell Tech, and The Business Incubator Association of New York State.
The council will focus on ensuring Queens is producing the talent companies look for, getting the resources and capital tech companies need, and helping businesses in traditional industries successfully integrate new technologies
“We work with local colleges and businesses who have educational opportunities, whether it’s apprenticeships, upscaling opportunities for the current workforce or anything that can bring more skilled workers into the tech industry,” said Michelle Watson, a technical specialist at the NYC Small Business Resource Network and Queens Tech Council member.
The Queens Tech Council has two working groups. The policy and government group works to highlight the tech industry’s needs to elected officials, while the investment and industry group works to secure both public and private funding.
Chamber president and CEO Tom Grech discussed some of the local tech industry’s recent accomplishments, including the rapid mass production of ventilators during the height of COVID-19 by Boyce Technologies in Long Island City. Borough President Donovan Richards highlighted the role the tech community will play in the future of the borough and, ultimately, the city.
“We want Queens to be the template for where we need to go, but we can only do that with you,” he told the crowd. “That means networking, relationships, and making sure we’re all rowing in the same direction.”
Rachel Loeb, president and CEO at New York City Economic Development Corporation, was the keynote speaker at Tuesday’s event. She said EDC and NYC Small Business Resource Network collaborated to ensure the survival and success of local small businesses during unprecedented times.
“We’ve been working together as a partnership so that we could get crucial skills when COVID hit and resources to small businesses so that they can survive, whether it be digitizing their business or just staying open,” she said.
Just last week, Loeb attended a groundbreaking ceremony for Bartlett Dairy’s new headquarters in Queens. Additionally, Hyatt Regency JFK recently celebrated its grand opening at Resorts World New York City, and JetBlue announced that its headquarters will remain in Long Island City.

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