Occupational Training for Jobs That “Pay Well”: Patterns from the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) Program

Between 2010 and 2021, the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) Program funded 59 grants in two rounds (HPOG 1.0 and HPOG 2.0) for education, training, support services, and employment assistance to prepare Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients and other adults with low incomes for occupations in the healthcare field.

This report found that:

• Entry-level training alone does not provide jobs that “pay well,” but above-entry-level training does.
• About 17 percent of HPOG 1.0 enrollees complete above-entry-level training through HPOG.
• Having more time to complete training supported by HPOG moderately increases rates of completing above-entry-level training or follow-on training. But enrollees receiving TANF and those with less education at entry are somewhat less likely to complete above-entry-level training or follow-on training.
• The goal to serve TANF recipients and other adults with low incomes may conflict with the goal of providing training that leads to jobs that "pay well." The reason is that those in HPOG's target population who face greater personal barriers to training for higher paying jobs, such as lower basic skills or extended time out of the classroom, may require more time for remediation, prerequisites, and training than HPOG typically provided.

The Office of Family Assistance of the Administration for Children and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services funded the grants.