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Health Careers NW (HCNW) provides healthcare training and job search assistance to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, and individuals covered under Medicaid through the Oregon Health Plan.

The Health Education Laddering Program (HELP) at Central Community College (CCC) is no stranger to growth. Along with project partners Southeast Community College, Northeast Community College, and Mid-Plains Community College, CCC engages TANF recipients and other low-income individuals in healthcare education and training. The ultimate goal is to place them on a career pathway to healthcare occupations that pay well and are in high demand. Through scaling up their strategies and interventions over time, Project HELP has gone from one college serving a 14,000-square­mile, 25-county service area to four colleges serving a 60,382-square-mile, 77-county service area.

The Northwest Ohio Pathway to Healthcare Careers (NOPHC) Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) program at Zepf Center focuses on helping low-income individuals obtain the education and training needed to pursue a job in the healthcare field. This project also builds upon the community Bridges out of Poverty initiative, which focuses on empowering people to progress out of poverty.

The Partnership to STEP UP in Health Careers (STEP-UP) program at the Chicago State University focuses on a multi-level approach to career improvement in high demand health professions. The program serves low-income individuals and TANF recipients in Chicago, especially the south side and the southern suburbs.

The Health Education Access through Rural Training (HEART) Project at Turtle Mountain Community College provides educational opportunities to TANF and low-income individuals living in rural communities. Participants receive training for occupations in the healthcare field that pay well and experience labor shortages or are in high demand.

In July 2019, Volunteers of America Michigan (VOAMI) added a new staff role to their VOAMI Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) program. The Training and Enrichment (TE) Specialist offers extra guidance to participants as they move from enrollment to healthcare training to employment. The TE Specialist offers one-on-one support, connecting participants to the best resources for their needs. They host workshops and job fairs and also reach out to local healthcare employers to stay up to date on open positions, company culture, and future needs.

Healthcare employers in Anchorage, AK, look beyond test scores when hiring entry-level employees. The demand for new hires with interpersonal and soft skills is on the rise. Employer partners of the Cook Inlet Tribal Council Health Profession Opportunity Grants (CITC HPOG) program in Alaska stated a clear need for entry-level employees to demonstrate such skills. Initiative and a strong work ethic are highly sought-after traits, yet they are often hard to find in the incoming local healthcare workforce.

San Jacinto College re-engages and incentivizes students to complete their training.

In August of 2017, Hurricane Harvey devastated much of the Houston area, affecting many students and staff of the San Jacinto Community College District both financially and emotionally. After the storm, the college’s Health Career Pathways Partnership HPOG program struggled to maintain its relationships with students. This took a major toll on the program’s ability to create successful pathways towards employment.

To address these issues, San Jacinto College made efforts to staff up after displaced staff and faculty caused high turnover. The College then set out to implement a student re-engagement strategy to bring participants back into the fold.

Tribal college’s HPOG program success guides statewide diversity initiatives in North Dakota.

With funding from a Health Professions Opportunity Grant (HPOG), Cankdeska Cikana Community College’s Next Steps II Program is now in its eighth year of providing training for healthcare occupations, advancing the diversity of the nursing workforce in North Dakota, and addressing critical healthcare workforce needs throughout the state.

New online courses plus enhanced learning opportunities equals increased participant enthusiasm and training completion.

By making strategic changes and additions to its healthcare training program, GoodCare is paving the way to greater student satisfaction and employment.