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Summary

Carreras provided courses and educational and employment assistance to Latino job seekers with low incomes to help them enroll in occupational training to gain the necessary skills and credentials for jobs as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).

The program, operated by Instituto del Progreso Latino, offered tuition-free instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL) with a focus on language skills for the health care industry and two 16-week courses designed to (1) improve reading and math skills to prepare participants for an LPN program and (2) develop basic vocational skills for the health care industry. The program also helped participants apply to CNA and LPN courses at local colleges, including assistance in applying for financial aid. All participants could receive academic advising, job search assistance, and case management. Individuals who directly enrolled in courses through Carreras also received public benefits assistance, supportive services such as child care or transportation, and tutoring. As of 2020, Carreras en Salud continues to offer similar services to eligible participants. Depending on their skill level at program entry, participants could take up to five 16-week ESL and pre-LPN courses, an 8-week CNA course, two semesters of LPN prerequisites, and 12 months of LPN courses at local community colleges. The program focused on bilingual Hispanic job seekers with English literacy skills at or above a fourth-grade level, family incomes below $35,000, and an interest in health care. Carreras was implemented in Chicago, IL.

Carreras was part of the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education study which also evaluated the following career pathways programs: Bridge to Employment in the Healthcare Industry, Health Careers for All, Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training, Pathways to Healthcare, Patient Care Pathway Program, Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement, Workforce Training Academy Connect, and Year Up.

24989.06-Study of Carreras en
Populations and employment barriers: At least a high school diploma or equivalent

Implementation at a glance

Primary service
Program services
Basic skills/bridge programs, Case management, Childcare and/or early education, Integrated education and training, Job development, Job readiness, Job search assistance, Occupational or sectoral training
Review services terms
Setting(s)
Urban only
Year evaluation began
2011
Implementing organization(s)Instituto del Progreso Latino

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 Not supported unfavorable $-3,572 per year -0.098 775
Long-term Little evidence to assess support unfavorable $-2,151 per year -0.059 775
Very long-term Little evidence to assess support favorable $1,422 per year 0.039 775
Increase employment Short-term Little evidence to assess support favorable 0% (in percentage points) 0.004 775
Long-term Little evidence to assess support favorable 3% (in percentage points) 0.084 775
Very long-term Little evidence to assess support favorable 2% (in percentage points) 0.053 775
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 20% (in percentage points) 0.398 640

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.

Cost results

Estimate (in 2024 dollars) Quality of cost analysis that produced the estimate
Total program cost, per participant $6,219
Good quality

Cost information

How much did the program cost per participant? 

The average total program cost per participant was $6,219 in 2024 dollars. This figure is based on cost information for this program reported in one cost study reviewed by Pathways to Work (for details, see the FAQ). This study received a rating of Good quality for the cost analysis.

Cost information is not directly comparable across programs due to differences in the categories of costs reported and program length. Cost information is not an official price tag or guarantee.

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Implementation details

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

Local context

Characteristics of research participants
White, not Hispanic
1%
Hispanic or Latino of any race
99%

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

Pathways to Work refers to programs by the names used in study reports or manuscripts. Some program names may use language that is not consistent with our style guide, preferences, or the terminology we use to describe populations.