City of San Antonio’s Ready to Work Program Receives U.S. Labor Grant

Published on July 11, 2022

Apprenticeship building America grant expands, diversifies, and modernizes workforce development with nearly $3 Million in support 

SAN ANTONIO (July 11, 2022) — The City of San Antonio’s unprecedented workforce initiative, Ready to Work, has received an Apprenticeship Building America grant in the amount of $2,983,433 from the U.S. Department of Labor. This grant program is intended to support registered apprenticeship programs and to enable workers to find a reliable pathway to the middle class.
 
According to the Department of Labor’s press release, the City of San Antonio was one of 30 recipients to receive an Apprenticeship Building America grant totaling more than $121 million, designed to incorporate cross-cutting principles to ensure access to quality registered apprenticeship programs including equity, job quality, sustainability, evidence-based approaches and new opportunities for innovation, engagement and ease of access.
 
“We are honored to receive the Apprenticeship Building America grant, which reflects the Department of Labor’s endorsement of San Antonio’s voter-approved Ready to Work program,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said. “Together we will improve the lives of our friends and neighbors and drive the economic health of our community forward.”
 
The Apprenticeship Building America grant will open doors to additional, work-based learning opportunities for San Antonio residents and businesses. Apprenticeships create the flexibility needed for employers, large and small, to recruit, train, and retain future employees.
 
“Apprenticeships are a proven training method benefitting both job seekers and businesses. The City will augment the Ready to Work program by expanding training opportunities to include work-based learning activities such as pre-apprenticeships and registered apprenticeship programs.” Ready to Work Executive Director Michael Ramsey said. “We will promote these pathways to underserved populations, including women, people of color, people with disabilities, victims of domestic violence and individuals formerly involved with the justice system.”