The background
The new round of budget funding supports Ready to Work, a program that facilitates training and education through four primary partners, and where community collaboratives work closely with city representatives to foster and meet program goals.
The budget contains $6 million for the newest work-based learning model programs, On-the-Job Training and Incumbent Worker Training, both of which extend funding for companies wanting to train the workforce for specific roles that must be filled immediately.
Through these specific programs, employers have the opportunity to directly affect their personnel and will have the chance to raise a worker's earning capacity, city officials said.
A closer look
A news release stated apprenticeships and the pilot internship program, “Pay It Forward,” provide additional avenues of training for participants to land higher-quality, higher-paying jobs.
Entering its third year of operations, the Ready to Work program will have placed 1,000 people in jobs, city representatives said, adding that 500-plus local employers have hired qualified Ready to Work graduates.
Additionally, more than 7,000 people have enrolled in approved training aligned with high-paying careers, the release stated, and nearly 4,800 are working toward completing their training. More than 1,600 people have finished training with Ready to Work, representing a 75% successful completion rate, city officials said.
Nearly 80% of program participants who have completed training have found a quality job within 12 months of graduation. Also, 50% of participants who have completed training have been hired within six months of graduation.
For the average program participant finishing training, the median household income was $15,000 before coming into the program, the release stated.
The mean annual salary after leaving the program for those placed in quality jobs is $44,000, which reflects a significant rise in household resources, city officials said.
What they’re saying
Mayor Ron Nirenberg said the city is succeeding in securing support from more employer partners and training providers in a long-term effort to help people get quality, high-paying jobs that will positively impact them, their families and financial future.
“I’m encouraged that we’re affording local employers the ability to accelerate the creation of entry-level vacancies by upskilling and training their current workforce,” Nirenberg said in a statement. “Moreover, the mechanism by which these employers will be reimbursed ensures that they will only benefit from this program if they adhere to their commitments. That level of accountability is something we should all expect of our public initiatives.”
Mike Ramsey, executive director of the city’s workforce development office, which oversees the Ready to Work program, agreed with Nirenberg that it's important to keep engaging top program partners and community supporters.
"We remain hyper-focused on our people, partnerships and placements into quality jobs. My office works diligently every day to make sure we are fiscally responsible, that we always find new ways to approach challenges and that we continuously improve our processes,” Ramsey said in a statement.
