August 29, 2022

Congressman Castro Welcomes Labor Secretary Walsh to San Antonio to Showcase City’s New Ready to Work Job Training Program

SAN ANTONIO – Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) welcomed U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh to San Antonio to showcase the city’s Ready to Work training program and demonstrate how federal workforce investments are creating good-paying union jobs and pathways to the middle class.

During the visit, Secretary Walsh joined Congressman Castro and San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg to tour workforce training sites at St. Philips College and the Local 142 Plumbers and Pipefitters Union Hall and Training Center. At both locations, Secretary Walsh, Congressman Castro, and Mayor Nirenberg held listening sessions with labor and industry leaders to hear about local workforce development needs. 

“As San Antonio rebounds from the pandemic, smart investments in workforce development have the potential to lift thousands of hard-working people into the middle class,” said Congressman Joaquin Castro. “Our city’s Ready to Work initiative builds from the proven model of Project QUEST and recognizes that effective workforce programs must support workers across all dimensions of their lives. I thank Secretary Walsh for the U.S. Department of Labor’s substantial investments in San Antonio, and I look forward to our continued partnership to create more job opportunities and a brighter future for all San Antonians.”

  

First image: Tour of St. Philip College's Aerospace and Technology Lab. Second image: Ready to Work roundtable discussion. To download high-quality images click here and here.

“San Antonio’s Ready to Work program offers critical workforce development and training that ensures workers can support their families and create a rewarding career. Bolstering job training across all industries is a key focus of the Biden-Harris administration, particularly with the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh. “I look forward to continuing working with Mayor Nirenberg and Congressman Castro to ensure a robust investment in job training to support communities and our nation’s economy.” 

“We appreciate the fact that U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh took the time to get an up-close look at our Ready to Work program, and I’m proud that the program made a good impression,” said Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “This transformational workforce development initiative will help San Antonians find better careers and stable livelihoods.” 

“We were honored to welcome Secretary Walsh to St. Philip’s College - Southwest Campus and show how we are training workers to create pathways to high-wage, high-demand jobs,” said Dr. Mike Flores, Alamo Colleges District Chancellor. “We thank Secretary Walsh for investing in workforce development to better our community.” 

In 2020, San Antonio voters approved funding for Ready to Work, an education and career navigation program designed to help lower-income adults prepare for skilled careers. Ready to Work provides tuition assistance, job training and placement services, and wraparound support to address the social and economic needs of participants. Ready to Work offers courses from more than 50 local training providers and aims to enroll 28,000 city residents in education and training over the next five years. 

On July 7, 2022, the Department of Labor announced an award of nearly $3 million for the city of San Antonio to expand registered apprenticeship programs, which provide workers with paid experience as they learn a trade. The award will be administered by San Antonio’s Workforce Development Office, which oversees the Ready to Work Program.