SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio leaders on Monday announced the opening of enrollment for the city’s Ready to Work job training and education program.
The city is aiming to enroll more than 28,000 people into either certification and degree programs through Ready to Work and subsequently get more than 15,600 of them into “high-quality,” in-demand jobs.
“I would consider it a success when a single family is able to change the cycle of poverty and give their children and grandchildren a chance,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said. “But when you think about the hundreds of families, the thousands of families, the tens of thousands families over years that will change their prospects and their children and grandchildren’s prospects -that’s where real transformation occurs.”
The program is estimated to bring in $229 million over the life of the sales tax, which voters approved in November 2020.
Participants will not have to pay tuition costs out-of-pocket, officials say, though there is an annual cap on how much they can get from the program. Part of the program will also include helping participants apply for additional financial aid, said the city’s executive director of workforce development, Mike Ramsey, though that would not include loans.
The city says participants will have access to:
- Tuition assistance aligned with targeted occupations in high-demand, well-paid careers;
- Support services and emergency assistance to ensure training completion; and
- Job placement and retention services.
Unlike the Train for Jobs SA program, there will not be a stipend for participants.
Ready to Work offers courses from more than 50 local training providers, colleges, and universities, but only in certain fields and industries, like: manufacturing, finance, construction, and health care.
Participants who enroll and complete training could be placed in a job in as early as a few months, city leaders said. Ramsey said $15 an hour is the “floor, not the target” for job placement upon completion of training.
Residents can enroll through any of the following three options:
- ONLINE at readytoworksa.com.
- PHONE by calling 3-1-1 and ask for Ready to Work.
- IN PERSON by visiting Project Quest or Restore Education.
Eligibility requirements include:
- San Antonio resident at least 18 years-old and permitted to work in the United States
- Not currently enrolled in college courses
- Income less than 250% of federal poverty guidelines ($33,975 for an individual, or $69,375 for a household of four)