City Council Approves San Antonio Ready to Work $42.9M Budget
Published on May 29, 2025
SAN ANTONIO (May 29, 2025) — Today, the San Antonio City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2026 Ready to Work (RTW) budget, totaling $42.9 million, which begins on July 1, 2025, and runs through June 30, 2026. The City’s Workforce Development Office facilitates the innovative training and education program to place residents into better-paying, higher-quality jobs through four prime partners: Alamo Colleges, Project QUEST, Restore Education and Workforce Solutions Alamo. The approved budget will allow for the addition of Goodwill Industries of San Antonio and Hallmark University as prime partners to the RTW initiative.
Hallmark University will complement RTW by serving eligible residents pursuing degrees and credentials in aviation, cybersecurity, business, and nursing career fields. Goodwill will partner with RTW to assist underserved community members earning credentials through their workforce training programs. RTW’s collaborative efforts continue to grow and bring together community partners and employers to meet program goals.
The approved RTW budget also includes funding for additional workforce development strategies to meet people where they are, including the Pay It Forward internship program, On-the-Job Training (OJT), and Incumbent Worker Training (IWT), which provides funding for companies seeking to directly train the workforce for specific vacancies that need to be filled. Through OJT and IWT, employers can directly impact the skill level of their workforce. These programs aim to increase the earning capacity of more than 2,500 workers, of which 1,366 will be new hires from the RTW participant pipeline.
This vote marks Mayor Nirenberg’s final budget vote for a program he helped launch in 2020 with overwhelming public support.
“Ready to Work is a life-changing program that tackles generational poverty head-on,” said Mayor Nirenberg. “The voter-approved program provides the opportunity for economic mobility for thousands of San Antonians and changes the economic trajectory of their families. Council’s approval of this year’s budget enables Ready to Work to continue supporting the education and reskilling of our community, while also providing local employers with high-quality talent to fill their vacancies.”
The RTW initiative is a win for the entire community. An independent study conducted by Dr. Steven Niven and Dr. Belinda Roman concluded that RTW continues to provide a significant return on investment, with $61 returned to the local economy for every $1 spent through RTW. This equates to a $1.7B impact, which is partly a direct result of increased earnings by successful RTW completers in their new quality jobs, but also from additional spending at local retailers and reduced social spending on items such as subsidized housing.
City Manager Erik Walsh echoed the sentiments of Mayor Nirenberg and City Council members.
“As we continue to educate and train our workforce, local employers will reap the benefits of the infusion of skilled talent into the labor market,” Walsh said. “This initiative has created a means for upward economic mobility for individuals in our community who are ready to take the next step in developing their careers here in San Antonio. The nimbleness of the program is reflected in the budget approved by City Council today. Through the multitude of Ready to Work education and training pathways funded by this budget, the City is able to provide customized opportunities to meet each eligible resident where they are today.”
As RTW moves into its fourth official year, the program has marked several major milestones, including nearly 2,300 residents placed in approved jobs. More than 11,600 residents have enrolled in the program, with over 3,600 residents having completed their training. Before a participant comes to RTW, their average household income is $14,560. Upon completion, the average salary of the participant’s first job is $44,140, representing an approximately $30,000 increase for the household.
More than 1,100 San Antonio employers have hired RTW graduates, with nearly 600 of them becoming Pledged Employers. The FY26 budget includes $3.6M for intake and assessment, $10M for wraparound services and case management, and $21M for tuition and training costs. To date, RTW maintains conservative spending to support all current participants while remaining under budget cumulatively. Total program expenses on per-participant training averages approximately $6,000.