South San Antonio News

The San Antonio City Council has unanimously approved the Fiscal Year 2025 Ready to Work budget, amounting to $49.5 million. The budget will cover the period from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. This innovative workforce development program aims to facilitate training and education via four prime partners and a host of community collaboratives that work closely with the program to achieve its goals.

The budget includes $6 million for new work-based learning model programs such as On-the-Job Training (OJT) and Incumbent Worker Training (IWT). These programs provide funding for companies seeking to train their workforce for specific roles. Through OJT and IWT, employers can directly impact their workforce and increase an employee’s earning capacity. Apprenticeships and the pilot internship program "Pay It Forward" offer additional avenues of training for participants to secure better-quality, higher-paying jobs.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg emphasized the importance of addressing generational poverty and stagnant economic mobility. He highlighted that the voter-supported program demonstrates that voters, the City, employer partners, training providers are all part of the same team working towards shared goals.

“This budget acknowledges the success of the previous year, expanding SA Ready to Work’s offerings to thousands more in our community,” Nirenberg said. “As we implement our April 2024 pilot On-the-Job and Incumbent-Worker-Training efforts, I believe we’ll be able to provide for a more comprehensive workforce ecosystem in San Antonio."

Mike Ramsey, executive director of the City’s Workforce Development Office overseeing the RTW program added: “We engage our prime partners, community champions, workforce leaders, employer partners and our elected officials so that we can offer a robust and impactful experience for our participants."

As RTW enters its third official year, it is on track to achieve a significant milestone: placing 1,000 people in quality jobs. More than 500 local employers have hired qualified RTW graduates, enhancing the local workforce ecosystem. Over 7,000 people have enrolled in approved training aligned with well-paying careers, and nearly 4,800 are still working toward completing their training.