DEPARTMENT: Economic Development
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Rene Dominguez
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S) IMPACTED: City-wide
SUBJECT: Presentation on SA Works 2018 Jobs Report and Project QUEST program overview and plans.
SUMMARY:
This briefing will provide an overview of the SA Works 2018 Jobs Report. It will provide insight regarding the skill-based needs among targeted industry employers. Project QUEST will present program highlights, a breakdown of the clients and industries it serves, and how it is working to scale its program.
BACKGROUND:
SA Works is an industry-led strategic workforce development organization aligning education providers with private sector demand to promote economic mobility. SA Works operates under the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation (SAEDF). The City of San Antonio invests in the operations of SA Works as an integration of workforce development into SAEDF’s Targeted Industry recruitment, retention/expansion, and international business development professional services partnership. This work helps education providers, and the largest hiring employers to better understand potential skills gaps and serve as a catalyst for alignment in education and industry. SA Works undertakes a number of initiatives such as publishing the local Jobs Report, working to incorporate 21st Century Skills badging through local educational institutions. As an industry intermediary, SA Works manages the IT/Cyber workforce partnership, and convenes industry and education to promote alignment and shed light on challenges. This year, they will focus on a bioscience industry skills gap survey, and continue their work on recruitment and awareness of the Texas Federal for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME), as well as assist with Alamo Promise in partnership with Alamo Colleges.
Project QUEST is a grassroots non-profit organization that provides comprehensive support and resources to program participants to achieve long-term employment. QUEST focuses on training and careers that offer family wages and advancement opportunities while providing intensive support services to help participants overcome financial and personal barriers to skills acquisition. QUEST is a designated Delegate Agency partner that is awarded over $2 million annually through the Consolidated Funding process and is a lead partner of the Upskill Partner Network (UPN). The UPN is a group of non-profits funded through the Consolidated Funding Process focused on providing upskilling opportunities support services and job opportunities in partnership with each other and private businesses.
ISSUE:
SA Works and Project QUEST represent two City of San Antonio investments working together to ensure San Antonio is both fiercely competitive for new jobs and investment as well as aggressively pursuing best practices in creating inroads for distressed populations to participate in San Antonio’s growing economy. SA Works will update the committee on the findings of its jobs report to connect how upcoming activities are addressing those needs. One of San Antonio’s longest-serving workforce development partners, Project QUEST will update the committee on how it is evolving its operations to scale it efforts to mobilize the local workforce with a focus on distressed populations.
SA Works’ goal is to reduce the skills gap in target industries by producing the needed skills from local education and training programs to create a robust workforce pipeline. SA Works provides a number of publications such as the Jobs Report and the community’s first IT and Cybersecurity Demand Occupation and Education Report, which studies San Antonio’s IT and cybersecurity industry. Its 2018 Jobs Report draws on a number of sources to provide insight on how to support education and workforce strategies among our private and public sector partners. The report illustrates the median salary, top five posting qualifications, top five marketable skills, as well as minimum education associated with the local manufacturing, IT, and healthcare industries. The 2018 report represents skills gap challenges but also highlights areas of opportunity for advocacy and mobilization around growing, upskill and recruiting/retaining of talent in the region.
The primary goal of Project QUEST is to strengthen the local economy by developing a skilled and educated workforce and placing participants in good-paying jobs. To accomplish this goal, Project QUEST provides San Antonio residents access to training programs that lead to certificates, associate degrees, bachelor degrees, or industry recognized certifications. QUEST provides intense case management and wrap around services, and offers job search and placement assistance upon completion of training. QUEST is the recipient of Communities Thrive Challenge that will kick off a capacity building process to scale and further integrate their services.
ALTERNATIVES:
This item is for briefing purposes only.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This item is for briefing purposes only.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
This briefing requires no further action.