SA: Ready to Work moves forward after approval by City Council

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — The San Antonio City Council approved the next step towards launching the city’s new workforce education and placement program.

Thursday’s unanimous vote approved community partner contracts for the SA: Ready to Work program with companies that include Workforce Solutions Alamo, Alamo Colleges District, Project Quest and Restore Education and other members of a “vast network of local entities,” officials said.

SA: Ready to Work will conduct community outreach and marketing, employer engagement, intake and assessment, case management, and job placement for over 28,000 residents over six years.

The program also includes tuition for industry-recognized certifications, associate’s and bachelor’s degrees aligned with targeted occupations in high-demand, well-paid careers in addition to support services, emergency assistance and retention services.

City officials said that this is the largest scale workforce initiative to be implemented nationwide.

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

Voters approved $200 million in funding for the program which comes by a 1/8-cent sales and use tax collected through December 2025.

“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. By sharing their needs and their quality career pathways, employers can help inform our program to meet their current and long-term growth plans,” San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh said.

The program is open to San Antonio residents who are at least 18 years old, permitted to work in the United States, not currently enrolled in college with an annual household income of $33,975 for an individual or $69,375 for a household of four.