Ready to Work is a ‘One-Stop Shop’ for Participants Seeking to Upskill, and for Employers Seeking to Hire
Article By: Ana Ruiz-Salazar, M.Ed., Manager, Workforce Development Office, Employer, Training and Community Engagement
When Leonard DeBraska, Director of Field Recruiting & Labor Relations for Alterman, first heard about the City of San Antonio’s innovative career-training program called Ready to Work, he knew his company would want to get involved. “Alterman is always looking for opportunities to tap into new talent pools for our workforce,” he said. “Ready to Work is exactly the kind of talent resource we seek.”
Ready to Work is an unprecedented education and employment initiative that helps San Antonio residents find easy access to professional training, education and quality careers. The $200 million program, approved by voters in 2020, offers unemployed, under-employed and historically under-served 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.
Employer commitment is critical to the program’s success. Over 320 employers, large and small, have pledged to hire Ready to Work graduates and to provide continuous feedback. Ready to Work Pledged Employers represent all sectors of the San Antonio economy, including information technology, construction, electrical, healthcare, education, finance, insurance, energy, hospitality, manufacturing and transportation.
Ready to Work hosts an approved course catalog with over 900 approved courses offered by over 60 local training providers. To date, Ready to Work has enrolled more than 2,900 San Antonians in approved training and education programs across these industries and more.
These courses are being vetted by leading San Antonio employers through a “Talent Pipeline Management” process endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
DeBraska notes that every construction trade in in San Antonio – as well as in the rest of the United States — is facing a huge skills deficit. “Every trade in our industry is understaffed. Ready to Work is a great way to address this critical need in our industry and in numerous other industries.”
Two new Ready to Work hires are currently enrolled in Alterman’s company electrician training program, which augments the training they received through Ready to Work. DeBraska said the company is eager to hire additional Ready to Work participants once they graduate from their training and certification programs.
“There is a vast network of folks out there who just need a chance,” DeBraska said. “Ready to Work provides just that by connecting participants with the training necessary to move into rewarding careers. The program also provides the support to assist with childcare, transportation and other financial burdens that participants may face during their training. In addition, Ready to Work provides professional, individualized coaching, as well as access to hundreds of local employers. It truly is a one-stop shop for participants.”
If you are interested in applying to the Ready to Work program or in becoming a Pledged Employer, visit www.ReadyToWorkSA.com or call 3-1-1.
