Joint Base San Antonio finalized a deal with the City of San Antonio and Workforce Solutions Alamo Monday to expand workforce development services for Bexar County veterans and their families through Ready to Work.
In development for more than a year, the agreement will allow Workforce Solutions Alamo, which is this area’s regional workforce board and a Ready to Work contractor, to work closely with JBSA and the City of San Antonio to funnel veterans leaving the military and their dependents into job training and placement assistance through Ready to Work.
As part of the agreement, JBSA will give Ready to Work access to on-base job fairs and community events at Lackland, Fort Sam Houston and Randolph. JBSA and the city will jointly market the new effort to veterans and their families who live within Bexar County and all the entities will share data to monitor the program’s performance.
“We are very thankful for this opportunity, which has been a long time in the making,” said Brian Hoffman, vice-director for JBSA at Monday morning’s signing, which was held ahead of a Military Transformation Task Force meeting.
Hoffman noted that the partnership began in 2023, when the city adjusted eligibility criteria for Ready to Work to include military-connected residents of Bexar County. (Funded by taxes collected from City of San Antonio residents, the program is otherwise limited to those who live within city limits.)
Veterans and their spouses have been eligible for Ready to Work since then, and about 325 veterans and dependents have come through the program, according to Ready to Work. The new agreement codifies and expands the ways JBSA and Ready to Work can jointly serve this population.
“This is a special opportunity to take care of our military service members, their spouses and working age children,” Hoffman continued. “So I want to say a huge thank you to Workforce Solutions Alamo, the mayor and entire team behind SA Ready to Work.”
Veterans face an array of challenges when they separate from military service, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which estimates that 200,000 service members separate each year nationally.
Serafina de los Santos, executive director of the 502d Force Support Group, which supports transitioning military members and their families, said that locally, about 4,000 military members separate each year.
Many have never looked for, applied for or interviewed for a civilian job, especially those who had a career in the military, according to the VA. They must often figure out how their military skills transfer to civilian jobs, or what skills gaps they need to fill.
Military spouses, too, face employment challenges; the unemployment rate for this population often stands above 20%, according to the Department of Defense, which is working to help spouses find gainful employment.
“We know that we’re Military City USA here in San Antonio, and that’s not just a moniker we use, it’s a reality,” said Mike Ramsey, executive director of the city’s Workforce Development Office, which oversees Ready to Work. “And we want to embrace our military service community and make sure that as they transition to the next phase of their life, they have the proper support to ensure success.”
Ready to Work recently received approval for its $49.5 million fiscal year 2025 budget, which begins July 1. The budget includes $6 million to reimburse some local employers for the costs of on-the-job training for new employees and additional training or “upskilling” for existing workers. Veterans and their dependents will be eligible for this program.
De Los Santos said agreements like this always take a long time, as the DOD must approve “what can be done inside the gate” of military installations.
The City of San Antonio has had a strong and productive relationship with JBSA for a long time, she said; this agreement furthers that relationship.
Next up, she said: an agreement to expand Pre-K for SA with JBSA. “It’s our next big push.”
