Mayor Lurie Awards More Than $21 Million In Funding To Support Workforce Development, Connect San Franciscans To Good-Paying Jobs

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today announced more than $21 million in funding to strengthen critical workforce programs that connect thousands of San Franciscans to sustainable, good‑paying jobs and provide local businesses with a highly skilled talent pipeline. Managed by the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD), the grants support community‑based training, centralized job centers, and industry-focused job placement programs across the city.

Mayor Lurie’s investments in workforce development programs build on his Family Opportunity Agenda, under which the administration is working to make San Francisco more affordable and supportive for working families. Under the Family Opportunity Agenda, Mayor Lurie has taken steps to expand free and low‑cost childcare and advance housing production and affordability through the Family Zoning Plan and the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. In January, the mayor announced a new partnership with the San Francisco Unified School District that allows high school students to earn associate degrees or industry certificates at City College, with a guaranteed transfer to San Francisco State University. At the same time, initiatives like First Year Free, expanded entertainment zones, and small business grants are bringing energy to neighborhoods and strengthening the city’s small business sector.

“San Francisco is building an economy where everyone has the opportunity to succeed,” said Mayor Lurie. “These workforce investments will help residents gain the skills and support they need to access stable, good-paying jobs, while ensuring our businesses have the workforce needed to grow and thrive.”

Last year, OEWD connected more than 3,600 residents to jobs and careers, supplying local businesses with the talent they need to stay and grow in the city. Priority initiatives, including CityBuild which has a 20‑year record of training the local construction workforce, and the Public Safety Academy which has placed 265 residents into frontline roles such as EMTs and street ambassadors, demonstrate the city’s commitment to safer streets, improved health outcomes, and support for vulnerable residents.

“As our healthcare, hospitality, and emerging industries continue to grow, and as San Francisco works to construct more affordable housing, we are building a workforce system that is equipped to meet the evolving needs of the sectors driving the city’s economic future,” said Anne Taupier, OEWD Executive Director. “Our strategy is focused on strengthening partnerships and investing in long-term organizational capacity that helps people access good careers and gives businesses a strong and skilled talent pool to hire from. We thank Mayor Lurie for championing workforce programs as an essential part of San Francisco’s priorities to encourage business growth, housing production, neighborhood revitalization, and a thriving economy.”

Following a rigorous evaluation, the city awarded 59 grants across 20 program areas through a competitive RFP process. Grant selections are grounded in extensive community input, including targeted listening sessions with youth, educators, employers, and service providers.

Investments are designed to expand career pathways, modernize training models, strengthen employer partnerships, and move residents from initial outreach to sustainable employment. Together, they fuel job placement and retention citywide and establish a foundation for long-term economic growth across San Francisco.

These investments will fund a highly integrated network of services across the following core areas:

• Centralized Job Centers: Operated by trusted community partners in neighborhoods like the Mission, Bayview, Tenderloin, and Chinatown, these centers serve as neighborhood gateways to the workforce. They provide culturally tailored career navigation and stabilization services to secure long-term employment—offering dedicated support for different populations, including young adults, veterans, and individuals with disabilities.
• Sector-Specific Skills Training: These programs align the city’s talent pipeline with its highest-growth sectors by supporting training in construction, healthcare, hospitality, technology, and other emerging industries. This rigorous instruction produces field-ready, certified professionals equipped to continue to power San Francisco’s core industries.
• Career On-Ramps and Paid Training: These programs provide paid work experience, mentorship, and direct job placement for young adults and residents overcoming significant barriers to employment and help people directly transition into the professional workforce.
• Workforce Infrastructure and Employer Partnerships: These grants strengthen the local workforce network by sustaining core operations and coordination across our service providers. Coupled with employer partnerships, they ensure all training remains responsive to current hiring needs.

“San Francisco's infrastructure cannot be built without a highly trained, local workforce. This investment from OEWD directly translates into union apprenticeships that provide immediate living wages, healthcare, and long-term economic security for our residents,” said David De La Torre, Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer, LIUNA Laborers Local 261. “By sustaining the CityBuild pipeline, the city is ensuring that the people building our neighborhoods are the ones who earn the wages required to stay and thrive in them.”

“Operational support from the city and OEWD is not just an investment in programs—it is a direct investment in people. These funds allow Success Centers to provide vulnerable residents with access to living-wage employment, career pathways, supportive services, and the stability needed to thrive,” said Liz Jackson Simpson, Success Centers CEO. “Sustained operational funding ensures we can continue meeting urgent community needs while building long-term economic mobility for individuals and families who have too often been left behind. The city’s partnership is critical to advancing equity, strengthening neighborhoods, and creating real opportunities for residents to succeed.”

“For decades, JVS has partnered with the city to help thousands of San Franciscans access quality jobs, career mobility, and long-term economic opportunity,” said Lisa Countryman-Quiroz, Chief Executive Officer of JVS. “OEWD's continued investment in workforce development helps create stronger pathways to economic mobility, connecting residents to the skills, support, and opportunities they need to build lasting careers and thrive in a rapidly changing economy.”