Ready to Work is the Bridge to Belief:

• Belief in every person’s ability to contribute;
• Belief in every person’s right to pursue happiness;
• Belief in the value of traditional and non-traditional education; and
• Belief that we all have the power to change the future when we work together.

From the desk of Mike Ramsey, Executive Director of the City of San Antonio's Workforce Development Office

With the end of 2022 fast approaching, I want to take a moment to thank everyone for a great year! A special thanks goes out to the Ready to Work team and our community partners for their hard work and dedication.

Over this past year, we have accomplished a lot:

• Over 8,000 people have applied for Ready to Work to date, which confirms the need in the community.
• Over 260 employers have pledged to support and to engage in Ready to Work, many of whom have attended Talent Pipeline Management sessions to identify crucial skills gaps.
• We engaged over 25 community organizations to implement Ready to Work.
• We officially launched Ready to Work in May, which leverages a variety of new resources:
  • Central data platform;
  • Alamo Area Community Network referral system;
  • Approved Course Catalog with over 50 training providers and over 900 approved courses in line with high-demand, well-paid jobs;
  • Program website and landing page; and
  • Online dashboard.
• We hosted 7 Advisory Board Meetings, 11 Community Outreach Subcommittee Meetings, and 11 Employer Engagement Subcommittee Meetings.
• We promoted countless community engagement events to promote Ready to Work in targeted geographies.
• United States Department of Labor Secretary, Marty Walsh, visited San Antonio and highlighted Ready to Work as a national model.
• The United States Chamber of Commerce foundation, EducateTX, and CityAge profiled and highlighted Ready to Work’s unprecedented scale and employer engagement.
• The Department of Labor granted us the prestigious Apprenticeship Building America Grant for $3m to expand, diversify, and modernize San Antonio’s apprenticeship programs.

As we look forward, our primary focus will prioritize employer engagement and enhance work-based learning opportunities. We will also continue to increase our ecosystem collaboration. Let’s see what this journey has in store for us!

With sincere gratitude,

Mike Ramsey

Apprenticeship Accelerator Event

On Friday, November 18, in coordination with National Apprenticeship Week, the Ready to Work team cohosted a San Antonio Apprenticeship Accelerator event with Alamo Colleges District, Workforce Solutions Alamo, SA WORX, New Apprenticeship, Bexar County, and Alamo Area Council of Governments. Dr. Sammi Morrill, Mike Ramsey, Christopher Mammen, Aurora Geis, and Katherine Pipoly shared insight into proactive solutions for building and expanding apprenticeships and other work-based learning opportunities.

The main attraction was a highly-informative, employer-led panel discussion moderated by Mike Ramsey, who got to the heart of why apprenticeships are key to talent pipeline challenges. Panelists included Barry Burns of Methodist Hospital System, Quincy Harper of Accenture Federal Services, John Turton of Texas Vista, and Mary Batch of Caterpillar.

Employers took turns sharing insights into the resources and internal processes they employ to make incorporating an apprenticeship model successful; how these models have addressed talent pipeline needs and supported diversity, equity, and inclusion talent challenges within their organizations; and the positive return on investment of work-based learning over the life span of these programs. The event ended with an insightful question-and-answer session between experts and attendees who walked away with new tools for their recruiting toolboxes.

Ready to Change Lives

Thank you to the over 260 local employers that have pledged support for Ready to Work. Employers will help guide the desired training and education of participants to help improve our local economy and to ensure the ultimate success of the program. Being an active and engaged business leader bring benefits to local businesses in the short and long term. These benefits include but are not limited to:

• Access to expanding talent pipeline 
• City-funded training and educational benefits for eligible employees
• Input on approved training catalog
• Enhanced network of workforce agencies, community resources and local training providers
• Increased contracting and subcontracting opportunities
• Workplace diversity
• Economic development for San Antonio

Employer Highlight: Accenture Federal Services,

Represented by Ben Peavy, CIO

Ben Peavy, Managing Director of Accenture Federal Services in San Antonio, is the current Advisory Board Chair of Ready to Work. Peavy became Chair in August 2022 and has ventured to improve the quality of life for thousands of San Antonians. Accenture, a Ready to Work pledged employer, is a state-of-the-art, U.S.-based innovation and delivery center serving the specialized needs of U.S. federal agencies. Its extensive work with innovative technologies provides digital solutions and data-driven insights to social service agencies.

Peavy feels workforce development is essential to San Antonio’s success and growth. "We have been actively involved within the business and workforce development community for many years, helping to improve this area," he said. "At Accenture, we see the Ready to Work Program as a unique opportunity for the City to accelerate and expand the career growth and economic opportunities for many San Antonio citizens. This long-term goal is to expand the pipeline of talented people we can hire from our community for many more years.

Early on, we recognized that the success and sustainability of our workforce development initiatives relied heavily on collaboration across an ecosystem of partners, including the government, nonprofit, and learning institutions. Through the cultivation of these partnerships, the opportunity for Accenture to participate in RTW occurred, which led to me joining the advisory council," Peavy says. "Accenture now has an opportunity to make an even greater impact with my recent selection as Chair."

Peavy’s vision for 2023 includes the following:

Provide expertise and input as it relates to:

• Validating in-demand occupations eligible for tuition assistance;
• Tracking and validating allotment of workforce certificates versus college degree slots;
• Confirming and adjusting levels of wraparound support as data suggests;
• Improving end-to-end process/pipeline;
• Enhancing program agility and flexibility;
• Addressing barriers and issues as appropriate;

Solicit qualitative input from local employers, including:

• Necessary skill sets;
• Alignment with training programs;
• Business demand projections;

Serve as community ambassadors by:

• Promoting employer hiring
• Promoting resident participation
• Championing Ready to Work within the community to ensure more people understand the value and benefits of the program

Peavy believes that Ready to Work will make significant positive changes and that San Antonio will be stronger because of it. He added, "Today's challenges are complex. I hope that Ready to Work allows companies like Accenture to reach great talent, while providing underrepresented groups the training and skills necessary to access digital-economy jobs, and to do meaningful work while growing in their careers.”

Ready to Work Supports Small Businesses!

December is Small Business Support Month, and we want to take the time to highlight and celebrate our local small businesses. Join us at Bexar County’s Small Business Expo:  

• Wed., Dec. 7, 2022, from 7 a.m. - 2 p.m.
• Freeman Expo Hall - 3201 E Houston St., San Antonio, TX 78219

If you are a small business needing to hire skilled, talented people and want to help the San Antonio community improve lives through training and education that results in higher-paying jobs, we urge you to take the Ready to Work Employers Pledge.

Take the pledge here.

Ready to Work Featured by CityAge

Ready to Work continues to garner national attention. CityAge’s new e-book, "Building Better Cities," recently featured Ready to Work’s Executive Director Mike Ramsey. CityAge is a platform that brings together a community of leaders who are building the future of our cities and planet. Through in-person, hybrid and digital events, along with original content distributed to its community of thought leaders through various channels, CityAge highlights the ideas, people and technologies creating new opportunities and solving some of society's biggest challenges.

Check out the full article here.

Ready to Engage

Indeed’s Job Search Academy Helps Participants Succeed

Getting ahead in today’s job market is a challenge, and we want to equip San Antonian’s with tools and resources needed to succeed. Know someone who’s looking to increase their chances in today’s market? Let Indeed help with its Job Search Academy workshops, led by Indeed Career Strategists. Sign up and learn what you need to find and land a great job.

Learn more here.

Upcoming Events

Ready to Work is reaching into the community throughout San Antonio to ensure the program is a success. Whether you are a CBO who wants to leverage Ready to Work to assist your client, or a business owner interested in taking the Employer Pledge, there is a place for you at the table. Below is a partial list of upcoming events. If you are interested in having Ready to Work be a part of one of your events, please contact rtw.help@sanantonio.gov.

Want to learn more about what Ready to Work offers? Click here!

Connect with Ready to Work on social media!: 

Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn