Andi Drileck
Former Senior Managing Director
Per Scholas
This interview features Andi Drileck, former Senior Managing Director at Per Scholas. Here, she discusses employers partnerships, and how they are helping to diversify the technology landscape in Chicago. Andi has a passion for working in the workforce development system and brings over 20 years of experience to the space. Read on to learn more about how Per Scholas continues to expand its reach and provide opportunities for career starters and changers in tech.
Editor's note: At the time of publication, Andi Drileck serves as the Illinois State Director of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
Tell us about your current role and company.
My name is Andi Drileck. I am the Senior Managing Director at Per Scholas in Chicago. I started in this role in the summer of 2020 and have been responsible for opening up Chicago as a brand new market for our incredibly fast-growing organization. Since 2020, we’ve expanded from 14 sites to 22 across the United States.
What has your career progression looked like?
When I first started working in the workforce development sector, I became immediately hooked on this type of work. I was intrigued by the opportunity to meet program participants and hear their stories. Every day I learned something new, which made the work very exciting. I've been working in the nonprofit workforce development sector now for a little over 20 years.
I work hard and do work that I truly enjoy and believe in.
I have spent time with some amazing nonprofit organizations, serving in various roles from Case Manager to Site Manager to VP to the role I’m in now. These experiences have provided me with a deep understanding of the workforce development landscape. From the hands-on approach of working with individuals to managing an entire program and assessing the needs of a funder, I am passionate about this work and am very fulfilled in my current role.
As you’ve moved along your career path, did you have any mentors who helped guide you to where you are now?
I've had a few amazing supervisors that I’ve considered mentors along the way. They’ve had my back and pushed me to accomplish things that I didn't realize I could. I've also been very fortunate to work with amazing colleagues who have mentored and guided me throughout the years and become my good friends.
One mentor has had a profound impact on how I think about our mission and work. Before submitting a grant proposal, they would always start our team meetings asking: if we apply for this funding, will we be mission-consistent? This question focused our team and left an impression on me. Now, when applying for different types of funding, I carry on the tradition and ask my team if we are experiencing mission creep. I always want us to choose opportunities that will grow our program and help our participants instead of simply going for the gold.
What would you say have been your keys to success in your career?
I work hard and do work that I truly enjoy and believe in. I’ve also maintained a focus on finding the best ways to support those we are serving by collaborating with others who are doing similar work. I recognize that there are plenty of people out there that need help and there are plenty of organizations that do the work. Being able to have collaborations and partnerships makes us all stronger. We all contribute to the workforce development system in a slightly different way, so our focus has to be on finding the best fit for participants.
What is Per Scholas hoping to achieve in the next few years?
We are looking to expand our footprint and serve more people. In the next couple of years, we're planning to be in more cities, expanding out west, and going deeper into the states where we already have sites. Where we currently have offices for our workforce, we're looking to open up access to our learners and offer satellite programs that will provide alternative locations for live instruction. This allows us to provide opportunities to those who are not able to access our current live instruction facilities.
What are some of the challenges that your organization is facing right now?
There've been many layoffs in the tech space in the last 12 - 15 months which has made it more difficult for us to place graduates. We are still able to do so but it's more challenging. Some employers who wanted to hire previously have come back to inform us that they are now downsizing or that a particular position is on hold for a few months. This has become a new normal and we are adjusting to it.
As a nonprofit organization, we're always looking for additional funding. There's huge interest in our program and we have a waitlist for most of our classes. We are happy that the interest is there, but we could do so much more if we had more local funding. That is an ongoing challenge for us.
Tell me about Per Scholas and what it's like to work there.
At Per Scholas our mission is to diversify the face of tech. We tend to attract nontraditional learners who are career starters or changers who are interested in moving into the tech space. 89% of our learners are people of color, and in Chicago, about 42% are women.
We provide a very holistic approach to training, providing it at no cost to our learners and providing wraparound services. We have a Learner Support Team that includes an assigned social worker and financial coach for each person in our program. We assist with job placement for two years following graduation including additional tuition-free training. These benefits are extremely helpful to our graduates, many of whom are new to the tech world.
Our most successful partnerships are with organizations that believe in our mission and invest time in building a relationship with us.
Working at Per Scholas is a very personally enriching experience. As a team, we are invested in collaborating to ensure that each of our learners are supported. We have a weekly team meeting and a Slack channel where we frequently discuss the status of participants and assess what support we can offer. Whether it be inside or outside of the classroom, we want to know what challenges or barriers people are facing so that we can support them. I don't have a tech background myself, but I love that we're able to slow down and take a look at people holistically and help them with what they need to be successful in life and on the job.
What kinds of employers do you tend to work with?
We work with employers of all sizes, from small businesses and startup companies to tech giants like Google or CDW. Placements can be made directly with a company or through a managed service provider. Depending on the options that are available and the experience level of our graduates, we place them in full-time positions or short-term and contract opportunities. What’s amazing about the tech space is that people can move around fluidly. One position may open the door to another and ultimately, we are happy when our graduates can grow their skills and are poised to advance their career.
What does the process look like when an employer first engages with you?
People learn about Per Scholas in many different ways. We have a strong national reputation, particularly with our previous relationship with the NFL. Whether we reach out to an employer or they reach out to us, we begin each relationship similarly. We start by working with them to identify their pain points and needs and to determine what the ideal candidate looks like. We spend time learning about their business and what might be in the pipeline coming up. During this time, we also educate the employer on the details of our program.
Sometimes we find that an employer wants a specific skill set or training for their workforce. In those cases, we provide a paid service where we develop customized training for the organization. Our subject matter experts work with the business to design a curriculum that fits their needs. These training programs can be for their incumbent staff or for new employees who need to be skilled in a particular area.
What are some common misconceptions you hear when starting with a new partner?
The biggest misconception is that we can provide the perfect candidate overnight despite what an employer’s requirements are. In reality, we need to find out what it is that an employer needs. It is also important for us to convey the skills we're training for and who's in our program. For example, we require people to have a high school diploma or equivalency. Some people do have some college or a bachelor's degree, but if an employer is specifically looking for that qualification, we will explain to them that we may not have that person in our program.
Another issue that we face is explaining to employers that while the Chicago area has a decent public transportation system, it's not always sufficient and it can be pricey, particularly for entry-level talent. When we work with employers in the suburbs they may not always realize that their location can be a barrier for the population that we serve.
Among the employer partners that you have successful long-term relationships with, what are some traits that they have in common with each other?
Our most successful partnerships are with organizations that believe in our mission and invest time in building a relationship with us. They provide many opportunities for our students to learn about their organization by hosting mock interviews, offering tours of their locations, and sending staff to our locations to speak with students about the company or their position. Our partners attend graduations or other events that we host on-site. We find that we have buy-in from employers who have truly gained an understanding of the program and have met and interacted with our learners or graduates.
We have also achieved success with one of our top employers through the pilot of an apprenticeship program. That program has been highly successful and effective because of the relationship that we’ve built together. From hosting regular meetings to establishing the program requirements to ensuring that candidates are a true fit for the apprenticeship, we’ve worked in lock-step with the employer.
Are there any kinds of employers that you're hoping to connect with more in the future?
We have a registered apprenticeship program through the Department of Labor. We're looking for employers right now who are interested in creating cybersecurity apprenticeships. An apprenticeship program offers students the opportunity to earn an income from an employer while they are training with Per Scholas.
We are also looking for employers that have large work orders for 10 or more employees. We are most efficient when we develop a deep relationship with an employer where they know what to expect from us and we’ve spent time understanding their requirements. It would be great to continue to build more partnerships like that.
What impact did the pandemic have on your programming?
Originally our classes were all in-person. In 2020, Per Scholas was able to change that model so that we could offer live remote classes. Making that change proved to be hugely impactful to the model and the growth of the organization. Now, nearly half of our learners complete their training remotely.
If an employer is reading this, they're learning about Per Scholas for the first time, what's one thing you would like them to take away from this conversation?
We have amazing people in our classes who are prepared and eager to work. Our learners are hard-working people who are looking to start or change their careers and their lives. Employers can come to us with their requirements and we will match them with a candidate that fits what they are seeking.
Interviewed by Tami Hillberry on February 22, 2024 | Written by Misha Williams
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