The City of San Antonio on Monday launched its $200 million sales-tax-funded jobs training initiative, Ready to Work.
The initiative provides lower-income residents with tuition for certifications as well as two- and four-year degree programs in high-demand local fields. It also provides support and assistance — such as transportation funding — to ensure participants can complete the training, job placement and retention services.
Ready to Work's funding was secured in November 2020 via Proposition B, a ballot measure for a 1/8-cent sales tax collected through December 2025, passed with nearly 77% voter approval.
It's meant to help grow local talent in industries like cybersecurity, manufacturing, aerospace, education, finance, health care, information technology and warehousing, Ready to Work Executive Director Mike Ramsey told the Business Journal. More than 800 local residents preregistered before enrollment opened.
Ready to Work was rolled out in partnership with Alamo Colleges District and Workforce Solutions Alamo, who in turn have brought on board subcontractors like the San Antonio Food Bank and the YWCA, according to Ramsey. Other partners include Restore Education — focused on helping San Antonio residents get high school equivalency — and Project Quest.
"(This initiative) is on a scale that the city hasn't seen before," said Ramsey.
More than 180 participating employers have signed a pledge to cooperate with the city initiative by communicating hiring needs and requirements and helping to place program participants. Among these are companies like Frost Bank, Toyota, USAA, H-E-B and HOLT CAT.
Ramsey said that the Ready to Work's five-year goal is to evaluate approximately 40,000 applicants and enroll 28,000 participants in education or job training programs. Applicants who do not meet the initiative's criteria will be provided information and referred to other opportunities. Ultimately, Ready to Work aims to place at least 16,000 residents in well-paid jobs.
Ready to Work applicants must be at least 18 years old, permitted to work in the United States, a resident of San Antonio, not currently enrolled in college, willing to take workforce readiness assessments and have an income that does not exceed 250% of the federal poverty guidelines.
"There's been a lot of work happening in the last several months behind the scenes," Ramsey said. "I'm excited to see the fruit of our labor as we begin to change the lives of families here in our community (as they) matriculate through programs, graduate and ... get into family-sustaining jobs."
