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Summary

Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) 2.0 provided education and training to help people participating in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and other people with low incomes enter occupations in the health care field.

HPOG 2.0 aimed to prepare participants for careers in health care occupations that paid well and were expected to experience labor shortages or increased demand. HPOG 2.0 refers to the second round of five-year HPOG grants that the Administration for Children and Families awarded in 2010. HPOG 2.0 used a career pathways framework with three core components: basic skills training, health care occupational training, and wraparound supports and services. Local HPOG 2.0 programs varied in how they implemented the career pathways framework. Most programs did not develop or provide HPOG-specific training courses. Rather, HPOG 2.0-funded grantees provided navigation services to promote participant enrollment in job training courses, education programs, and work-based learning opportunities. Local HPOG 2.0 programs also offered or connected program participants to an array of additional services, including case management, academic supports, supportive services like child care assistance, and employment assistance. On average, participants completed about six months of training. 

All HPOG 2.0 programs served people participating in TANF and other people with low incomes, but local programs set different criteria to determine whether applicants were eligible. HPOG 2.0 was implemented in 38 sites across 17 states, including Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.

28666-Study of Health Prof
Populations and employment barriers: Cash assistance recipients, At least a high school diploma or equivalent

Implementation at a glance

Primary service
Program services
Basic skills/bridge programs, Case management, Employment coaching, Integrated education and training, Job development, Job placement, Job search assistance, Occupational or sectoral training, On-the-job training, Tuition assistance/financial aid
Review services terms
Setting(s)
Tested in multiple settings
Year evaluation began
2016
Implementing organization(s)Community colleges; community-based organizations; workforce system agencies (such as workforce investment boards and one-stop career centers); other state agencies (including departments of social services)

Effectiveness rating and effect by outcome domain

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Outcome domain Term Effectiveness rating Effect in 2024 dollars and percentages Effect in standard deviations Sample size
Increase earnings Short-term Little evidence to assess support Effect size could not be calculated -- 22443
Long-term Little evidence to assess support favorable $656 per year 0.018 22437
Very long-term Cannot assess support
Increase employment Short-term Little evidence to assess support favorable 1% (in percentage points) 0.021 22443
Long-term Cannot assess support
Very long-term Cannot assess support
Decrease benefit receipt Short-term Cannot assess support
Long-term Cannot assess support
Very long-term Cannot assess support
Increase education and training All measurement periods Supported favorable 2% (in percentage points) 0.046 10125

Effectiveness ratings

  • Well- supported
  • Supported
  • Mixed support
  • Not supported
  • Insufficient evidence
  • Cannot assess support

Studies of this program

Study quality rating Study counts per rating
High High 1
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Program cost

No cost information available.

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Implementation details

Dates covered by study

The study ran from February 2016 to June 2021. Study enrollment ran from February 2016 to December 2019, with three cohorts included in this study: early (February 2016 to February 2017), middle (March 2017 to February 2018), and late (March 2018 to December 2019). Data collection occurred from February 2016 to June 2021. The follow-up periods varied by data source and cohort, with administrative data available for 15 months to four years after random assignment by cohort and 17-month and 37-month follow-up survey data available for the middle cohort.

Organizations implementing program

Community colleges; community-based organizations; workforce system agencies (such as workforce investment boards and one-stop career centers); other state agencies (including departments of social services)

Populations served

The study sample was composed of adults who were receiving TANF or otherwise met local eligibility criteria related to having low income. Most participants were female (91 percent) and had at least a high school diploma or GED (90 percent). The majority of participants were parents (62 percent) and had some postsecondary education (54 percent).

Description of services implemented

HPOG 2.0 was an employment and training program that aimed to prepare participants for careers in health care occupations that paid well and were expected to experience labor shortages or increased demand. The program drew on a career pathways framework with three core components: basic skills training, healthcare occupational training, and wraparound supports and services. Local HPOG 2.0 programs varied in how they implemented the career pathways framework. Most programs did not develop or provide HPOG-specific training courses. Rather, programs provided navigation services to facilitate participant enrollment in existing job training courses, education programs, and other services. Clients received combinations of basic skills training, education, training, work-based learning opportunities, and assistance connecting to employment. Local HPOG 2.0 programs also offered or connected participants to an array of additional services, including case management, academic supports (for example, financial aid counseling or tutoring), personal supports (for example, assistance connecting to or paying for child care), employment assistance, and other skills development activities. HPOG 2.0 specifically emphasized stronger employer engagement.

Key services provided included:

  • Basic skills training. As needed, participants could access basic skills training intended to allow them to meet qualifications required to enroll in occupational healthcare training. The program was designed to allow for participants who entered the labor market to return for additional basic skills training later, as needed, to pursue additional healthcare training for higher-level licenses and certifications.
  • Healthcare occupational training. Healthcare occupational training was designed to lead to obtaining clearly defined and industry-recognized credentials. The program was designed to allow participants to return for additional training after time in the labor market to pursue higher-level certifications and licenses.
  • Supportive services. Providers offered an array of academic supports, personal and logistical supports, and employment supports designed to help participants complete their education and training programs and find employment.

Service intensity

The program did not have a fixed intended duration. Participants were offered access to education, occupational training, and support services for healthcare career pathways where length varied by credential, ranging from short-term trainings (less than four months) to programs exceeding one year. The average participant received about 10 months of training.

Comparison conditions

People assigned to the comparison group did not have access to the HPOG programs but had access to education, training, and services available in the community. In some cases, comparison group members could enroll in the same courses as intervention group members if the courses were already taught at local community colleges.

Partnerships

Local HPOG 2.0 operators varied in implementation and partnerships developed. The HPOG 2.0 grants stressed employer engagement to help support employment after completion of healthcare occupational training.

Staffing

Local HPOG 2.0 programs varied in how they implemented the program and their staffing. Most programs focused on providing navigation services to facilitate participant enrollment in existing job training courses, education programs, and other services.

Fidelity measures

The study did not discuss any tools to measure fidelity to the program model.

Funding source

The program was funded by HPOG 2.0 grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance.

The information contained here reflects how the program was implemented at the time of the evaluation.

Local context

The program was implemented by 27 HPOG 2.0 non-Tribal grantees in 38 distinct and diverse programs located across 17 states, including Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.

Characteristics of research participants
Black or African American
48%
White, not Hispanic
23%
American Indian or Alaska Native
3%
Unknown, not reported, or other
4%
Hispanic or Latino of any race
23%

The race and ethnicity categories may sum to more than 100 percent if the authors reported race and ethnicity separately; in these cases, we report the category White, rather than White, not Hispanic.

State(s) where implemented

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY Canada

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