San Antonio committee hears Ready to Work update as officials weigh wage floor to broaden small‑business participation

Council staff presented an update on the Ready to Work on‑the‑job training (OJT) program during the Nov. 10 Committee on Economic and Workforce Development meeting. The presentation summarized early outcomes from initial cohorts and described proposed changes to expand participation by small businesses.

The program, staff said, began two years ago and delivered its first agreements about 20 months ago. In the initial round the presenter said there were six small employers, six large employers and 32 participants in one category and 155 participants overall through Nov. 3, 2025. Staff reported retention and hiring figures: "74 por 100" (74%) of participants were newly hired by participating employers in the first cohort; among workers already employed with a participating employer for more than six months retention was reported at 93%.

Staff described wage outcomes for the first cohort: starting wages were reported at about…