Ready to Work has to work better

Two dynamics can be true about the city’s ambitious Ready to Work program: It has struggled to launch, and yet the program deserves patience because its purpose is needed in San Antonio.

Approved by voters in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, a time of pervasive food distribution lines, Ready to Work sets aside sales tax dollars through 2025 to upskill San Antonians and serve as a buttress against economic insecurity. Enrollees, who live below the poverty line, receive free training for industry-recognized certificates, and even associate and bachelor’s degrees.

To date, though, only 665 program participants have been placed in jobs, according to the city’s Ready to Work dashboard.

About 6,500 people are enrolled in training, and many of these programs can take a significant amount of time. Put another way, a quick certification program may not lead to a high quality job, although a speedy process may be just what a person needs.

This is one of Mayor Ron Nirenberg’s signature programs, and he has long preached patience, arguing this is a first-of-its-kind program and each job placement is a life changed. He repeated this mantra in his recent State of the City speech

“We’re now entering uncharted territory as we create a coordinated workforce development ecosystem at a scale unparalleled in our city’s history — maybe in any city’s history,” he said. “Training for new careers and finishing degrees is vital, but it will take time.”

Nirenberg has also noted that the money is only spent as people enroll for training. No arguments, but we would like to see some more fire from the mayor. This is his signature program, and he should be outspoken about ramping it up and placing many more people in jobs.

Earlier this month, Ready to Work Advisory Board chairman Ben Peavy said the program is falling short on a key goal of placing 80% of participants in jobs that pay at least $15 an hour within six months of completion. The rate, according to an article from Express-news reporter Molly Smith, was 46%.

That’s not life-changing. It has to improve.

“We’ve got to figure out how to get people hired in a quicker time frame, or there could be significant changes to the program,” Peavy said.

We will be meeting with city officials later this month to discuss Ready to Work. We understand the need for patience for a new program of this magnitude, but that should not come at the expense of urgency. Ready to Work has to work better.

Struggling program vital for city, residents