A version of the following op-ed was published as “San Antonio’s Ready to Work Needs Improving, But It’s Working and Should Stay”, San Antonio Express-News (August 4, 2026).
https://www.expressnews.com/opinion/commentary/article/improve-ready-to-work-don-t-cut-22372125.php
Don’t Cashier Ready to Work
Recently Mayor Jones argued that the city’s Ready to Work (RTW) program, approved by voter referendum, had about $123 million that she’d like to see applied to other city services. (San Antonio Express-News July 23, 2026). That would be a big mistake and not only because the City Attorney’s opinion says it would be illegal to transfer funds promised to the voters for career training services. The Mayor offered to use the money to pay for other city training programs at no net loss of commitment. The program has been disappointing to many observers, but commentaries repeat the same misleading information every time the program comes up. I think the program could be better, too, but to know how to do it better requires understanding what works and what is lagging. One hundred million dollars can still accomplish a lot.
The repeated phrase about RTW is that the program fails to achieve the promise to find jobs for 80% of its graduates within six months that pay $15 an hour. Now consider five program qualities that qualify this snapshot. First, recall that the goal of the program was to provide the training and wrap-around support services that will enable an individual to start career-oriented employment to support a family. The program goal of $15 was always far too low and none of the lead agencies wants to recommend taking a job paying below the city’s mean income. Fortunately, RTW’s actual wage is $22.50 for the almost two-thirds of graduates it places. Project Quest and ACD have had greater success than Workforce Solutions, the largest and traditional training agency.
Second, RTW depends on local employers to hire graduates at the appropriate wage for career-oriented jobs. A key feature of RTW compared to most failed training programs is close coordination with employers to create demand for useful skills for job ladders for graduates to climb. RTW contracted with SA Worx of greater: satx (the one-time Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce) to coordinate key employers in the targeted industries with the most potential for good jobs. SA Worx drew upon a compatible program sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Talent Pipeline Management, to help companies agree to training standards and show them how to integrate their recruitment strategies with RTW. Some local employers embraced the concept, but most have not. Rather, even some of the biggest employers treat RTW as a welfare program to which to offer a few jobs.
Third, when RTW was created, major employers, like Toyota, and industries, such as construction, already had public-facing recruitment policies that they wanted to continue. For instance, in 2016 Toyota created the Texas FAME (Texas Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education) program with ACD and other companies. Also, the construction industry historically operated multi-year apprentice programs with the trades unions whose terms were certified by the federal government, but the industry operates mostly non-union today. Although some companies — both union and non-union — operate programs with certificates for trainees and recruit at area high schools, the industry is characterized by a high degree of competition for labor (with higher wages in Austin and Dallas than in San Antonio) and widespread hiring of undocumented labor.
Fourth, RTW’s online dashboard does not tell the full story of placements. RTW staff also promote apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, largely because of a Biden administration grant, which are a separate category from those listed. RTW also began a large on-the-job training program in 2024. About half of the participants are incumbent employees who are not counted in the dashboard’s placements, although the program has now ended. Another factor in the reported data is that a job placement may pay well, but not offer health benefits, which is a rarely noted program requirement. Finally, as many as 20% of trainees leave before graduation to take a job on their own.
Fifth, RTW has graduated 5,750 workers and steered them to career-oriented employment. The individual successes are impressive examples of how this program has made a difference in the lives of San Antonians. The lessons we might learn include how to learn lessons from each other’s experiences. RTW has worked pretty well and could accomplish more if local employers integrated their recruitment pipelines with the public training programs that have demonstrated results. Also, beyond San Antonio, supportive state and federal policies about wages, child care, education finance, workers’ and immigrant’s rights, and market competition, would raise the bar to achieve an economy that works for everyone.