HPOG aimed to prepare participants for careers in health care occupations that paid well and were expected to experience labor shortages or increased demand. HPOG 1.0 refers to the first round of five-year HPOG grants that ACF awarded in 2010.HPOG 1.0 funded grantees that were required to (1) help participants develop skills relevant to the health care industry; (2) support career pathways that allowed participants to build a career by advancing through successively higher levels of education and training and to exit into employment at multiple possible points; (3) provide training leading to credentials recognized by employers and the health care industry; (4) provide supportive services, such as financial counseling or job retention services, to help participants overcome barriers to training participation and employment; and (5) provide training at accessible times and locations. The most common occupational training programs were six-to-eight week courses to become a nursing aide, orderly, or attendant; some registered nursing programs could last up to four years. As of 2020, HPOG continues to offer similar services to eligible participants through a second round of grants awarded in 2015 (referred to as HPOG 2.0).

All HPOG 1.0 programs served people participating in TANF and other people with low income, but programs set different financial, academic, and behavioral criteria to determine whether applicants were eligible. HPOG 1.0 was implemented in 42 programs across 19 states. The evaluation of HPOG 1.0 also examined the effectiveness of three specific program enhancements: HPOG 1.0—Emergency Assistance, HPOG 1.0—Noncash Incentives, and HPOG 1.0—Facilitated Peer Support.