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.

“The more you practice the art of thankfulness, the more you have to be thankful for.” — Norman Vincent Peale

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

Watch our video newsletter and hear directly from Workforce Development Office executive director Mike Ramsey.

I can’t tell you what an exciting time it is in the life of SA Ready to Work and our Workforce Development Office. From our advisory board and subcommittees on employer engagement and community outreach, to our all-partner meetings, events, collaborations with the Department of Labor and more, we are working toward a better San Antonio. 

SA Ready to Work is already changing lives and helping our participants get into better paying, higher quality jobs. One of those people is Eric De La Rosa who enrolled through Project QUEST and is already earning nearly $70,000 per year. Ready to Work changed his life. That’s the power of the program. 

SA Ready to Work is gaining national exposure. City leaders across the country are interested in learning what we’re doing here in San Antonio. Recently, city and business leaders from Kanas City, Missouri and Charlotte, North Carolina visited us to learn about our program, the infrastructure in place and how our prime partners and training providers work together to sign people up and get them enrolled in classes. We are proving that a city-supported, voter-approved workforce development program can lead to economic mobility, bring employers to town, place people in great jobs and impact many different areas of life through retail and shopping, hospitality and tourism, restaurants, home sales and more! 

This November as we honor our heroes and those who have served and currently serve our country, my team is increasing its focus on military and veterans through various collaborations. As a proud Veteran myself, having served in the United States Navy, I know first-hand the importance of extending learning and training opportunities to those who are post-service and looking to start their next chapter. We are working with Workforce Solutions Alamo, Bexar County and the Joint Base San Antonio Workforce, Military Spouse and Transition Alliance. The mission there is simple: to foster training and education opportunities for the future careers of our military and Veteran community. We’re setting the stage for transitioning military members, their spouses, dependents and caregivers.  

Another exciting opportunity to tell you about is our new collaboration with the San Antonio Public Library. The Memorial Branch Library, in partnership with Ready to Work, hosted a Career Resource Fair to let members of our West Side community know about our program. Partners like Restore Education, Café College, NXT Level, the City of San Antonio HR department and others talked with people directly to help them learn about all the ways Ready to Work can help them. We answered questions and built relationships. That’s what it’s all about, and we hope to continue these events with our library and other city departments. 

Finally, our team is working closely with our friends in education in San Antonio and across Bexar County. Education Service Center Region 20 has been very active in bringing together education partners to increase awareness and visibility in the field. But it’s not just teachers. Paraprofessionals, support staff and other positions within our schools are so important, but are critically understaffed. Region 20 is leading the way to define pipelines, messaging and candidate pools in order to strategically plan outreach efforts. The partnership is growing. We are lucky to have such a strong relationship with school districts in our area. 

With sincere gratitude,

Mike Ramsey

A Veteran's Perspective on Ready to Work

Shay Valdez is a proud U.S. Army Veteran who served her country for six years. Once her service came to an end, she thought she’d be able to transfer her skills and talent to work outside of the Armed Services. To help the transition, she enrolled in college courses to begin her educational journey. She earned her associate’s degree and worked as a medical assistant for the next seven years. 

Valdez was beginning her 30’s when she began in the Ready to Work program. As a single mother, she says she had struggled financially and desired more financial freedom and a better future for herself and her son. Now her goal is to earn her bachelor’s degree. 

Valdez says the financial aid and emergency services provided by Ready to Work has lifted a huge burden she was facing, and she’s also looking forward to job placement offered by program partners. She loves the security of having assistance in putting her in a job where she can thrive. 

“My experience with Ready to Work has been wonderful,” Valdez says. “Any time I have hit a roadblock, I have been given resources to help overcome my obstacles. I also do not receive any grants anymore so the financial assistance has been incredibly helpful.”  

Valdez is enrolled in courses for international business management with a minor in psychology. Eventually, she wants to manage projects in non-profit companies. 

Valdez says she appreciates the support of the program during her journey. Her son is special needs and some of his care has been challenging. But she’s been given all the support she’s needed through Ready to Work. 

Valdez is a resident of San Antonio City Council District 4. She says that Ready to Work is putting her on the right path - and for that, she is not only grateful but wholeheartedly excited. 

“Since joining Ready to Work, I have become more focused on my goals,” Valdez says. “Knowing that I am part of a program that will assist in job placement makes me more eager to finish earning my degree so that I can change my life in a more positive and fulfilling way.”

Project QUEST: Then and Now

In July 2022, Ready to Work featured partner agency, Project QUEST, represented by Francisco Martinez. Project QUEST is a valued Ready to Work partner, and for more than three decades has been a vital part of the San Antonio community. While Ready to Work was brand new, Project QUEST had been connecting people to training for careers in a variety of industries. Their mission hasn’t changed, and now works in conjunction with Ready to Work to serve even more people.

This month, we wanted to circle back with Martinez and Project QUEST to see how things are going since we last checked in.

THEN: In the early days of the program, data figures had not been well established. But even with so many unknowns, Martinez and his team had seen innovations and collaborations starting to take flight. Further innovation, he said, will come naturally as the program and partners build, establish and learn from each other through shared work and collaboration. Project QUEST was the first prime partners to fully implement Ready to Work, graduate and place the first set of participants into jobs.

NOW: “Being the first to take off, conditions were still a bit hazy, and we were definitely building the plane midflight!” Martinez noted. “Despite many unknowns, we were and continue to be all in and fully vested in doing our part to ensure the success of Ready to Work. We learned a lot in those first months that has helped us and others along the way.”

Martinez says that even with their 30-year history of community service and workforce development, the magnitude and significance of Ready to Work forced Project QUEST to evaluate their processes to make continuous improvements. Martinez wants to continue to be able to be a better partner for the city, participants, improve collaboration with fellow prime partners, training providers and the entire workforce ecosystem.

Project QUEST has now enrolled over 1,000 participants, have had about 200 graduates, and have seen over 100 job placements. That is the life-changing work that Project QUEST and Ready to Work are doing together.

THEN: In July 2022, Project QUEST’s advice for potential participants was to start their journey of 1,000 miles with a single step.

“Move from fear to faith,” the organization told those who might be interested in signing up for training and education to find a better quality, higher paying job.

“Organizations like Project QUEST are here to help, and there is an entire community of partners committed to help them along their journey.”

NOW: Project QUEST says people interested in taking the leap of faith should invest in themselves. “There is literally money with your name on it to help with tuition and emergency support, an organization with a Coach ready and eager to help you succeed and a life changing job in your future when you’re done.”

Project QUEST sets realistic expectations with potential participants. There is an application process and documents needed to qualify. But applicants will not go through the process alone.

“From start to finish, QUEST and other partner agencies are here to help you navigate the process. Unsure? Give us a call and let’s talk. Ready to start, apply and let’s go!”

THEN: The journey and outcome from Ready to Work is worth the time and commitment. Martinez says that it’s not just about supporting participants. It’s about supporting families, communities and the city of San Antonio.

“It takes a village, and we need to all be proud of being an integral part of that village.”

NOW: The message from the start remains the same – to encourage people to invest in themselves and their families.
“There has been no better time to make the greatest investment you can make – to invest in yourself through life changing skills and training.”

The greatest impact, Martinez said, is on the lives of the participant’s families, children, neighborhoods, community and the entire city. During a recent roundtable with city leaders and QUEST graduates, Martinez noted that the stories shared were powerful and uplifting.

“They all had in common their resiliency and desire to achieve more, and the power that a dedicated group of professionals with tools and resources can have on changing lives. This is what Ready to Work and our collective effort is doing. Although at a large scale, Ready to Work is helping individuals help write their own stories through triumph and success through life changing jobs that will help shape a stronger San Antonio.”

Martinez said QUEST is grateful for the opportunity to serve and be a part of this work.

We echo that sentiment.

San Antonio Snapshots

The Ready to Work Team was invited to participate in HalloEast, hosted by SAGE at Pittman-Sullivan park on October 29th!  

It was an unseasonably warm day, so it was great to see attendees cooling off with their Ready to Work fans and enjoying sweet treats as they made their rounds to our table and the other wonderful vendors. 

Among the vampires, cowgirls, and zombies you might be used to seeing out and about around Halloween, we also saw some first responders, police officers, firefighters, and a lot of superheroes! 

Did you know that Ready to Work supports training pathways in emergency medical services and law enforcement professions? Ready to Work is proud to offer these and a wide variety of other training options to residents, to allow participants as many opportunities as possible to move into a stable, higher-paying job and feel like a superhero to the loved ones they support. 

Ready to Engage

Upcoming Events

Ready to Work is reaching into the community throughout San Antonio to ensure the program is a success. Whether you are a community-based organization 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.

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