Committee hears Ready to Work update; staff reports 62 occupations in catalog after removals

Joe Markle introduced himself during the meeting as “Joe Markle, soy el asistente de Ready Work” and delivered an update on the Ready to Work program’s occupational catalog and monitoring approach.

Markle said the program implemented an aggressive review over the past 18 months and recommended removing nine occupations from the catalog because they were underutilized or failing to meet placement metrics. He added that previous rounds removed 11 occupations, for a total of 20 removals, and that the catalog now lists 62 occupations targeted for placement.

On service timing, staff said phase-two support is structured for about one year with monitoring of certain services to 18 months. Committee members asked how staff will verify local hiring, whether payroll documentation will be required, and whether phase-two recipients will be tracked for local retention. Markle told the panel staff will request documentation of payroll to verify employment and will return with additional breakdowns when award recommendations are ready.

Committee members asked about sector-specific challenges—especially in bioscience and information technology—and discussed training and certification bottlenecks. Staff noted partnerships with UTSA and other education providers for specialized placements.

This item was presented for information; staff will report back with applicant-level data and recommended awardees as Ready to Work transitions from review to implementation.