A no-cost cybersecurity course has quietly landed in Greater Grand Crossing, aiming to turn South Side residents into job-ready IT pros without asking them to hop on the Red Line every day or write a tuition check.
Per Scholas has opened a new satellite training site on Chicago’s South Side in partnership with Xchange Chicago, putting free cybersecurity instruction inside the Gary Comer Youth Center. The program welcomed its first cohort of roughly 20 learners this summer, with a second group expected later this year. Organizers say the model is designed to fast-track residents into paid IT roles by pairing hands-on training with local apprenticeship interviews and employer connections.
Per Scholas announced the program during TechChicago Week, saying the satellite will deliver an AI-enhanced curriculum along with instructors, technology and equipment, while Xchange provides the physical training space. In a press release via PR Newswire, Per Scholas framed the effort as a way to “remove barriers: long commutes, costs, distance from opportunity” and to better align training with employer demand.
Apprenticeships and onshore tech jobs
Xchange Chicago runs a 28,000-square-foot onshore IT center across from the Comer Education Campus that has already trained and placed apprentices into entry-level IT roles. SDI Presence, a founding employer partner, will interview Per Scholas graduates for apprenticeship roles and provide on-the-job experience tied to local contracts. The center’s role and ambitions are detailed by Xchange Chicago and in local reporting by the Chicago Sun-Times.
Local outcomes and next steps
Per Scholas says its Chicago programs have served nearly 800 learners to date and that roughly 80% of those graduates secure full-time employment after training. Nationally, the nonprofit says it has trained more than 30,000 technologists since 1995 and aims to train 25,000 a year by 2030.
Organizers argue the satellite model lets Per Scholas scale quickly while keeping training embedded in trusted community anchors like the Gary Comer Youth Center, where classes are currently being held. A Per Scholas white paper outlines the satellite approach, and the Gary Comer Youth Center lists the center as the local host for the program.
