San Antonio City Council approved another year of funding for Ready to Work, the taxpayer-funded workforce development program first approved by voters in 2020.
Ready to Work, which assists low-income San Antonio residents in career training, education and job hunting, will receive $42.8 million between July 2026 and June 2027.
Of those funds, $37.9 million will be distributed to Ready to Work’s partners to cover participants’ tuition in education programs and wraparound services including child care and case management; $4.9 million will be used to administer the program.
One notable cut was on-the-job training, where the city would pay employers to take on workers and provide training. Ready to Work Executive Director Mike Ramsey said that program was underutilized last year.
City council members approved the budget Thursday, but urged Ready to Work to make improvements in key areas.
The program came under scrutiny in 2024 when it lagged behind its goals for job placements and educating participants. Right now, it takes an average of 76 days for program participants to be placed in a job. Just over 5,000 people have gone through the program and found new jobs, a third of the program’s 15,000 job placement goal.
Ready to Work has improved its outcomes and its participants are being hired by the City of San Antonio and local healthcare providers. Ready to Work placed 500 workers in jobs in April and has added more than 100 job placements in the first week of May, increasing its placement rate and putting it in position to meet its goals.
“I would love to see more industries take note of what we’re doing in this program, and us train folks to fill some of the positions in other industries,” said Councilman Marc Whyte (D10). “This is a lot of money. I think we need to see continued improvement from the program, and I’m hopeful that we will.”
Councilwoman Misty Spears (D9) and Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones asked Ready to Work to focus on artificial intelligence-related jobs and readiness, while also making sure approved jobs would withstand pressures from AI.
Ramsey said Ready to Work would keep trying to connect with employers. He also noted that the program would try to combine its work with other funding streams, like benefits received by military veteran participants.
“We know that the Ready to Work program has faced its challenges, but with direction from the board and council, we’ve seen an increase in participant job placement,” said Councilwoman Teri Castillo (D5). “Oftentimes when we evaluate the metrics of Ready to Work, we often look at it as if we’re talking about filling sidewalk gaps or installing streetlights, but we were talking about individuals with very complex lives needs.”
