SAN ANTONIO – More than 4,000 San Antonio residents have taken part in the city’s Ready to Work program, which helps adults train for higher-paying careers. But for many, one big barrier has been getting the training while also caring for their children.
The city now says it has an answer to that problem — child care support built into the program.
Elizabeth Jones, a Ready to Work participant and mother, is studying phlebotomy and medical assisting — two of the many career paths offered through the initiative.
“I literally cannot believe he’s getting ready to go to day care, and I’m getting ready to finally start a career that I might actually like,” Jones said.
She joined Ready to Work looking for a way to earn a steady income while still improving life for herself and her son.
On average, RTW participants increased their annual salary by more than $33,000 in their new jobs compared to when they began their training/education, according to city officials.
“This equates to more than $130 million dollars a year in wage increases for San Antonio families,” city officials said in a news release.
But not everyone who qualifies can easily take advantage of the opportunity.
“For a lot of people, there can be challenges that keep them from getting that training and education. So, like in this instance, child care may be tough,” said Luke Simons with the City of San Antonio’s Workforce Development Office.
Simons said the program now offers assistance to help participants find the child care they need, so they can stay focused on class and complete their training.
He added that many people don’t realize the support extends beyond education.
“A lot of people just don’t understand that there’s ways that this program is helping them more than just the training and education. It’s to keep them going so that they can finish all the way through,” Simons said.
For Jones, the combination of career training and child care help has made it possible to move forward after years of uncertainty.
“It gives you that space and a little bit of security that, ‘Hey, you are going to make it,’” she said. “Even in high school, I didn’t have any idea of what I wanted to be until after I graduated, and I still didn’t know if I even wanted to go to college. But then the program kind of showed it was a shorter amount of months to be actually able to get to where I wanted to go.”
The Ready to Work program is free to apply for and open to San Antonio residents. Participants are paired with a coach who helps them choose a career path and navigate training options.
Learn more about the Ready to Work program online.