SA Ready To Work Education & Job Placement Program To Partner With Local Entities To Bring Workforce Training & Job Placement Services To Re

Press release from the City of San Antonio:

February 17, 2022

CONTACT: Kristy Hernandez, 210-207-3919
Kristy.hernandez@sanantonio.gov

SAN ANTONIO (February 17, 2022) — The SA: Ready to Work program will partner with Workforce Solutions Alamo, Alamo Colleges District, Project Quest and Restore Education to launch its implementation and job placement efforts. SA: Ready to Work will also work with a vast network of local entities as part of the voter-approved workforce training and job placement program. Today, City Council unanimously approved contracts for community partners to implement the $200 million SA: Ready to Work education and job placement program.

“Voters made workforce development a community priority when they overwhelmingly approved SA Ready to Work,” said Mayor Ron Nirenberg, “and I am encouraged to see us move closer to getting more San Antonio residents into jobs with a future.”

SA: Ready to Work is a workforce development program funded by a 1/8-cent sales and use tax collected through December 2025. 77% of San Antonio residents voted for the initiative. The City will fund partners to perform services such as community outreach and marketing, employer engagement, intake and assessment, case management, and job placement for over 28,000 residents over six years. No national workforce initiative has been implemented on such a large scale.

“Employers are the key to success of the SA: Ready to Work program. We are asking regional business leaders to take the SA: Ready to Work Employer Pledge to support the investment in our greatest asset – our people,” said City Manager, Erik Walsh, “by sharing their needs and their quality career pathways, employers can help inform our program to meet their current and long-term growth plans.”

The $200 million program offers unemployed, underemployed and under-represented residents the following benefits:

• Tuition for industry-recognized certifications, associate’s and bachelor’s degrees aligned with targeted occupations in high-demand, well-paid careers;
• Wraparound support services and emergency assistance to ensure training completion; and
• Job placement and retention services.

SA: Ready to Work is open to San Antonio residents who are:

• At least 18 years old;
• Permitted to work in the US;
• Not currently enrolled in college;
• Whose household annual income is less than 250% of the federal poverty guidelines (i.e., $33,975 for an individual, or $69,375 for a household of four);
• Willing to take assessments; and
• Committed to completing the program.

SA: Ready to work will be implementing a “Talent Pipeline Management” approach endorsed by the US Chamber of Commerce to align employer needs with approved training courses.

SA: Ready to Work will enhance the local workforce ecosystem by building a shared platform from which community partners can scale their services. Prime contractors include Workforce Solutions Alamo, Alamo Colleges District, Project Quest and Restore Education. A larger network of subcontractors will work within the Alamo Area Community Network to support residents in training and job placement, including Avance, Barcom, C2 Global Services, Chrysalis Ministries, Dynamic Advancement, Empyra, Family Service Association, Goodwill Industries San Antonio, Graduation Alliance, Our Community, Inc., Plumquest, Profile Design Studio, SA Food Bank, SAISD, SeeKing HR, Texas A&M San Antonio, WHY Group, Worldwide Languages, and YWCA. Creative Noggin will perform marketing services and SA WORX, a subsidiary of greater:SATX will perform employer engagement services focusing on small businesses.

The City will host an approved course catalog online to allow for training providers to share educational opportunities in high-demand fields, and for residents, workforce agencies and employers to view available courses. The catalog will be organized by institution and by industry to align training options with high-demand, well-paid jobs.

SA: Ready to work will officially launch in April 2022. Interested residents may pre-register for the program by dialing 311.

Visit https://www.sanantonio.gov/workforce/Programs/SA-Ready-to-Work for more information.

This press release was produced by the City of San Antonio. The views expressed here are the author’s own.