On Friday, February 25, your San Antonio Chamber of Commerce was very proud to act as a convening partner for a special event on workforce development called San Antonio Roundtable: Setting Our Sights to Build a Stronger San Antonio. We partnered with Educate Texas, Workforce Solutions Alamo, Educational Service Center Region 20, COPS Metro Alliance, City of San Antonio Councilmember Dr. Adriana Rocha Garcia, and Bexar County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez.
The goal of the event was to launch a learning process for our community’s workforce and economic development leaders, implementers, and strategists by sharing promising and best practice models from select cities across the nation. The symposium highlighted the impact derived from a city-wide strategy with shared goals and values; common approaches to leading collaboration through data; and the opportunity to present San Antonio as a model of excellence in economic mobility. The keynote speaker was LaChaun Banks who serves as the first ever Director for Equity and Inclusion at the Harvard Ash Center. Attendees also heard from leaders in Louisville, KY; Kansas City, MO; and Atlanta, GA.
This symposium was an opportunity to build upon the work that our community has already done in workforce development with nationally recognized models like Project Quest and to capitalize on deep public support for such efforts with successful passage of voter initiatives Pre-K for SA and SA Ready to Work, which puts us in the enviable position of having both desire and dedicated funding. The conveners believe that ensuring a strong base of partners who learn together and strive for the noncompetitive aligned goal of improving our community’s workforce and economic development is crucial for success. Participants were asked to see beyond a single program or funding stream and strive for a better and collaborative future for all of us.
Post symposium, each convening organization, including your Chamber, will build a smaller cohort of critical and willing stakeholders to begin the strategic development process. The work will be supported by technical consultants, shaped by a common framework, and based on information and feedback from each member as we develop a larger community vision for workforce development. If you are interested in learning more about this work and/or would like to become more involved in this process, please contact Katie Ferrier.