From left: Tiernan Walsh, Account Executive for the Per Scholas Alternative Staffing Program; Guy Del Grande, CEO of Tekmark Global Solutions; and Barbara Chang, Executive VP of Per Scholas pose with Delkys Ortiz Pena and Renata Hill, recent Per Scholas graduates.

Per Scholas, the largest adult IT workforce development nonprofit in New York City, last week announced a business partnership with Tekmark, a privately-held IT consulting and telecom solutions firm headquartered in Edison, New Jersey, to help place unemployed and under-employed adults into IT jobs with a promising career track.

The partnership will match Per Scholas graduates with employers who are looking for short-term project staff for network moves, deployments, and roll-outs, or who want to temporarily fill a position before making a decision to hire. Full-time staffing services will also be available.

The business move will deepen the benches of both partners by giving Tekmark access to Per Scholas graduates for entry-level positions and projects and Per Scholas access to more seasoned IT professionals for higher level work at long-time employer partners. Graduates of Per Scholas complete an intensive 15-week hands-on training in IT support acquiring the CompTIA A+ and  Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist (MCTS) certifications upon completion. Local industry employers have hired graduates from Per Scholas for more than 10 years.

“Per Scholas and its graduates have a strong reputation in the local IT industry,” said Tekmark’s CEO, Guy Del Grande. “This partnership makes sense not only for our business but as a public service to our community.”

“We’ve invested a great deal into training our students for careers in IT and have proven that our model works,” said Per Scholas Executive Vice President, Barbara Chang. “We are thrilled at the opportunity to work with Tekmark and I look forward to seeing what we can do together to place more people into jobs in the fast-paced and growing IT industry.”

Per Scholas is a national nonprofit organization that breaks the cycle of poverty by providing technology education, access, training and job placement services for people in low-income communities.  Founded in 1995 as a neighborhood-based effort to increase access to personal computers, Per Scholas was an early pioneer in bridging the digital divide for families and children in the South Bronx — the nation’s poorest Congressional District.

JPMorgan Chase CIO Guy Chiarello called students and alumni from Per Scholas' Veterans Program to join him on the stage at the 2012 R.O.I. Corporate Dinner.

On the evening of May 3, 2012, Per Scholas launched its first-ever R.O.I. (Reach – Opportunity – Impact) corporate partner dinner. Our goal was to raise enough new funds for Per Scholas to enroll at least 60 more students in 2012 than last year. We are excited to announce that with more than $400,000 in proceeds, the dinner achieved that goal!

We were extraordinarily fortunate to have Guy Chiarello, the Chief Information Officer of JPMorgan Chase and one of Per Scholas’ most dynamic and committed supporters, as our inaugural honoree. More than 300 business IT leaders turned out for the occasion, a reception and dinner hosted by the company at 1 Chase Manhattan Plaza.

Highlights included remarks by Plinio Ayala, Per Scholas’ CEO; a “Heads or Tails” game that raised nearly $7,000 all by itself; a very moving address by Delkys Ortiz Pena, a Per Scholas graduate; an auction that raised $15,000 in personal contributions from EMC attendees, spurred on by Per Scholas board member and EMC executive Diane Lenz; and the award presentation to Guy by JPMorgan Chase Chief Administrative Officer Frank Bisignano and Per Scholas Executive Vice President Barbara Chang. Last but certainly not least, JPMorgan Chase CIO for Worldwide Securities Services Richard Anfang did a stand-up job as game master, auctioneer and emcee.

The event united several longtime Per Scholas corporate partners with nearly 20 new ones. JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs both contributed $50,000 as highest-level Impact Sponsors. We were especially pleased to welcome new Opportunity Sponsors ($25,000) Prudential and Tata Consultancy Services, as well as eight Reach Sponsors ($15,000):  Collabera, CompTIA, Gartland & Mellina Group, NYSE Euronext, Polaris, pWc, Symantec and Thomson Reuters. Except for NYSE Euronext, all were new Per Scholas supporters.

Additional generous contributions came from a long list of companies. They included Accenture, AT&T, Cognizant, Con Edison, EMC, IBM, Informatica, NetApp, SAP and World Wide Technology. Again, the majority were new partners in our work to create professional job opportunities for low-income and underemployed New Yorkers.

Per Scholas offers its heartfelt thanks to the sponsors and the many individuals who helped make the evening a success. Special thanks go to Jonathan Teplitz and the Technology for Social Good team at JPMorgan Chase, for all their unstinting help.

Check back over the next few days for a comprehensive photo gallery.

When you think about it, there’s no reason that biometric recognition can’t provide security on tablets — well, aside from the need for a sensor thin enough to fit on a slate. Fujitsu has been on the job, making significant progress since showing off its clunky palm vein reader. The company’s latest development on the biometric front is an authentication sensor that measures a minuscule 5mm thick, which is slight enough for use in tablets. Fujitsu employed its PalmSecure technology for reading users’ palm vein patterns without requiring physical contact with the sensor. This super-thin module is still in the thick of research and development, but it’s likely destined for your tablet someday down the line.

If you’re over the age of 20, you’ve likely used a credit card, counted change and maybe even written a check. But is all that about to change?

Mobile payment hasn’t become the de facto method of financial transactions just yet, but it is projected to overtake those archaic checkbooks and bank notes you’ve been lugging around.

Three types of mobile payments dominate the marketplace today: m-commerce (uses a mobile browser and online wallets), m-payments (uses mobile apps), and m-wallets (replaces your entire wallet). Furthermore, consumers can access several forms of transaction on their mobile devices, including scannable barcodes, mobile coupons and self-checkout.

But are consumers ready to wholeheartedly adopt the latest in mobile payment technology? Adults who are unbanked, for instance, may face a barrier to mobile transactions — there are currently 17 million unbanked adults in the U.S. But many smartphone users welcome the convenience of mobile payments (87% in the UK), while others worry about the privacy factor (79% in Asia). Still, 49% of consumers in the U.S. found shopping on a smartphone awkward.

Then again, many people found paper checks awkward and credit cards confusing the first time around.

Where do you fall in the mobile payment debate? What kinds of transactions do you handle on your smartphone? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.

Mauricio Paladines is this month’s, and first-ever, student of the month. Mauricio is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps who served from 2004-2008. Following his service, like many returning U.S. veterans, he found himself unable to find regular employment, working only in temporary, low-wage positions. “I thought with my military background, I would get a job fast. The Marines make you corporate-ready. You are trained to be punctual, disciplined, deadline-driven, loyal, and utmost, to respect your superiors,” Mauricio said.

Mauricio embraced and excelled in the challenging environment at Per Scholas. Early in March, when a video team from JPMorgan Chase visited Per Scholas, he was selected by his instructors to represent our veteran students. Not only did he step in for the interview — he did so well that he was recognized by JPMorgan Chase executives for his professionalism and poise. They insisted, in fact, that he attend Per Scholas’ ROI Corporate Dinner on May 3.

Mauricio takes the honor in stride. “I want to thank my instructors Mr. Mallia, Mr. Jurado, Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Nunez. They have been there for me. I told myself 2012 was going to be my year. It hasn’t disappointed me yet.”

With support from the Technology for Social Good program at JPMorgan Chase, a team of students at the University of Delaware is helping Per Scholas implement the next new phase of its online presence.

The University of Delaware team has already helped Per Scholas plan improvements to this website that will make it easier for prospective students, alumni and employers to engage with us. Over the next month, the team will work even harder to implement these changes.

Check back soon to see more comprehensive information about Per Scholas’ IT training program, a virtual tour of our facility, features about students and alumni, employer success stories and much more.

We are deeply grateful to the students and to JPMorgan Chase’s Technology for Social Good program, which introduced them to Per Scholas and is coordinating their work. Special thanks go to Corey Wall at JPMorgan Chase, who spearheaded the collaboration. Thanks also to the University of Delaware student team members: Alison Steele, Brian Steele, Julie Ferguson and Nicole McAteer.

JPMorgan Chase CIO Guy Chiarello

On May 3, 2012, Per Scholas will mount its first-ever ROI (Reach – Opportunity – Impact) Corporate Dinner. We are very excited that this event will honor Guy Chiarello, Chief Information Officer of JPMorgan Chase and one of the most widely admired corporate IT leaders in the world.

JPMorgan Chase, Guy and his Technology for Social Good team have grown to become deeply committed Per Scholas allies and supporters. Their partnership extends well beyond funding to include internships and employment for graduates, voluntarism by employees and extensive in-kind support (including support for developing this website). The bank is equally committed to other nonprofit IT workforce development organizations, and to the field as a whole. We could not be more pleased by this opportunity to express our gratitude, and to highlight the benefits of partnering with Per Scholas for other supporters, new and old.

Table prices/sponsorships for the evening reception and dinner at 1 Chase Manhattan Plaza range from $15,000 to $50,000. All proceeds will help make possible Per Scholas’ free IT training and other programs serving low-income families and communities. To reserve a sponsorship or for more information, please click here.

Update: The dinner on May 3 was a great success, raising more than $400,000 for Per Scholas’ work.