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

Happy August, everyone! I am officially back in the saddle after returning from the National League of Cities’ Good Jobs, Great Cities Academy in Washington, D.C. A few months ago, the National League of Cities selected San Antonio among 15 cities for this honor. At the Academy, City of San Antonio leadership, Charles Kim from OCI Solar, Rudy Garza from CPS Energy and Ben Peavy from Accenture Federal Services gathered with other city leaders to develop innovative and scalable solutions that train workers to obtain high-quality, high-demand jobs in infrastructure, clean energy and advanced manufacturing. The program, which has a national presence in the infrastructure industry, recognized Ready to Work for its collaborative engagement and named it as a model for other cities to follow. This new announcement will solidify San Antonio’s position as a leader in innovation and expansion.

Becoming a representative of the Good Jobs, Great Cities Academy allows us to take advantage of federal resources, giving us the accessibility to take on more participants, collaborate with more partners, and develop innovative training systems and practices. We are now better positioned to address the issues that many people face when navigating the education and workforce ecosystems to access good jobs.

It’s a huge honor for us to join such a dynamic effort with the Academy. Our goal is to appropriately align the resources received from the National League of Cities to maximize our participants' success.

My experience at the Academy was an excellent opportunity to share our best practices and to learn from other regional leaders as we continue our mission to build pathways to good jobs and a thriving community.

Additionally, I am proud to announce that San Antonio's Workforce Development Office received Results for America’s 2023 Sharman Stein Award for Storytelling Changemakers. This award recognizes a local government employee or team using public communication to cultivate trust and collaboration between residents and their governments. The award honors Sharman Stein, founding Director of Communications for What Works Cities, who worked tirelessly to build a world in which local governments and residents collaborate to make cities better places to call home.

Our Ready to Work team was nominated based on the program’s targeted marketing and outreach efforts as well as the launch of the public dashboard. Our efforts exemplify a communications strategy that promotes collaboration and equity.

With sincere gratitude,

Mike Ramsey

Partner Highlight - San Antonio Housing Trust

This month, Ready to Work sat down with Pedro “Pete” Alanis, Executive Director of Ready to Work partner, San Antonio Housing Trust (SAHT). SAHT is an organization that creates and preserves affordable, accessible and sustainable housing for the San Antonio community. They also provide education and resources through partnerships with other enterprises and organizations. Through their collaborations, they create a community that builds and sustains neighborhoods, empowers residents, and provides positive, equitable outcomes.

Because of their shared commitment to improving our community, SAHT recognized the value in joining the Ready to Work program. Since most residents of SAHT properties meet the qualification criteria to enroll in Ready to Work, bringing Ready to Work to the apartment communities makes it easier and more convenient for residents to access the program. As a Ready to Work partner, SAHT will provide space and support for Ready to Work coaches to provide on-site wrap-around support, including career coaching, benefits navigation, financial counseling, training course enrollment, emergency funding, interview prep, and job placement and retention assistance. With these innovations, SAHT hopes that improving its tenants' skills will put higher-paying jobs and financial stability within reach. 

“The program delivers on the hope of a new direction with tangible benefits that will help our residents in the real world,” says Alanis. “Because the intersection of housing security and employment are inexplicably linked, this program provides a path to financial and housing stability for San Antonio residents.”

Alanis hopes that Ready to Work will continue to expand its reach to new residents.

“Even if someone reads about Ready to Work and doesn’t think it will benefit them, it may benefit others in their orbit,” says Alanis. “It may benefit a friend, family member, or neighbor, so continue the conversation about the great ways we can grow the success of our community.”

Participant Highlight - Diana Solis and Joselyn Hernandez

Joselyn Hernandez (left) and Diana Solis (right) at work at Downtown Dentistry.

This month, Ready to Work would like to shine a light on two participants, Diana Solis and Joselyn Hernandez, whose individual journeys intersected with one another. They first met at the Dental Assistant program with the University of the Incarnate Word and, after successfully completing the program in December of 2022, both secured jobs as Dental Assistants with the same company, Ready to Work Pledged Employer San Antonio Downtown Dentistry.

Although both women ended up in the same place, their journeys began differently. During her program, Diana worked with a dentist and took care of office maintenance. She was excited to enter the program to become a Registered Dental Assistant. She fell in love with the position and encouraged her classmate and fellow Project QUEST participant, Joselyn to apply.

Joselyn lives with her mother and is financially responsible for their household. She was working as a hostess before beginning her training and was excited to join a program that would provide her with the education needed to pursue a career in the dental field.

Both women joined Ready to Work to build careers for themselves. The program has helped guide them through every step of the process to secure rewarding careers as Dental Assistants.

“I want patients to feel comfortable when coming into the office,” says Diana. “I enjoy witnessing patients get their smile back and feel confident.”

Both Diana and Joselyn attribute their wonderful experience with Ready to Work to the teachers and mentors who guided them through school, helping them grow as people and professionals. Due to their hard work, both women got hired in less than a month. “Since joining Ready to Work, I’ve learned to be more responsible and to focus on what will help me succeed,” says Joselyn. “Ready to Work gives you the opportunity to choose a career so you can grow as a person and achieve your goals.”

Now Diana and Joselyn are not only classmates and co-workers, but friends as well.

Ready to Change Lives

Thank you to the 344 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 brings benefits to local businesses in the short and long term. These benefits include but are not limited to:

• Access to an 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

Take the employer pledge here.

Employer Highlight - SAISD

The San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) is a proud Pledged Employer and collaborator of the Ready to Work program. SAISD’s Adult and Community Education department has partnered with Project QUEST, a Ready to Work partnering agency, to register, test, and refer over 250 qualified adults to Project QUEST.

Through this initiative, SAISD hopes to have access to an applicant pool of talented recruits, who are well-trained and certified, to hire for high-paying jobs with full benefits.

“The longer Ready to Work continues to be funded, the more they can provide a means of earning which would increase self-sufficiency, economic mobility, income, retirement and a better quality of life for SAISD families,” says SAISD Superintendent Dr. Aquino.

SAISD shares a bond with all educators, parents, students, administrators, and

community members and seek out employees who align with their core values of

commitment, passion, integrity, respect, teamwork, and being student-centered. They believe that Ready to Work helps instill those same values.

SAISD recognizes the potential benefits of collaborating with over 330 local employers that have also pledged their support.

“Being an active and engaged business leader benefits your local business in the short and long term,” says Dr. Aquino. “By partnering with Ready to Work, you can access an expanding talent pipeline, City-funded training and educational benefits for eligible employees, provide input on the approved training catalog and work alongside an enhanced network of workforce agencies.”

And for anybody who is trying to decide whether Ready to Work is right for them, Dr. Aquino offered this thought: “Remember, the Ready to Work program offers personal and professional growth pathways. Take the time to evaluate your goals and aspirations and consider how the program can align with your vision for success. With dedication, effort, and a commitment to continuous learning, the Ready to Work program can be a steppingstone towards achieving your career objectives in San Antonio.”

Welcoming Our Summer Interns

Ready to Work is excited to introduce our summer interns. Five high school and college students from the City’s Summer Youth and Summer Ambassador Internship Program and the greater:SATX - SAWORX Summer Internship Program, have spent their summer gaining real-world experience in the professional workforce before heading back to school in the fall. During their time with us, they researched workforce development initiatives in other cities, performed data analytics, participated in community outreach and events, developed profiles of high-demand careers, and updated websites and marketing collateral. By assisting the Ready to Work team with these tasks, they not only built their knowledge about the city’s labor force but also provided the Ready to Work team with insight from local students to understanding what students today need to succeed in education.

Thanks for all your hard work!

• Nathaniel Herrera – Attending St. Philip's College

• Nicholas Whelan – Attending University of Texas at Austin

• Noora Naser – Attending Madison High School

• Daisy Salazar – Recent graduate of Brackenridge High School. Will attend Palo Alto College as an AlamoPROMISE Scholar

• Isaac Mendoza – Attending St. Philip's College

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.

Enjoy the newsletter? Please share it with others so they can Sign up for the latest news on Ready to Work.

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

Connect with Ready to Work on social media!: 

Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn