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Amber was a young mother struggling to raise her two children when she walked into the Danielson American Job Center in east Connecticut. While working with an Employment Advocate (EA), she mentioned an interest in a career in healthcare. Her EA directed her to Health Careers Advancement Project (Health CAP) , an HPOG program facilitated by Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board, Inc. Health CAP provides opportunities for TANF recipients and other low-income individuals to obtain occupational training in many healthcare tracks. Amber spoke to an HPOG navigator about how to enter the Health CAP program.

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.

If you asked Sunshine five years ago where she would be today, her answer would certainly be different. In that short time, she found sobriety, earned a medical assistant certificate and began a career in the healthcare field. Sunshine is a single mother of two boys, living in Medford, OR. For years, she battled addiction and generational poverty. She wanted more for herself and her family but struggled to find it.

Sunshine bravely took steps to overcome her barriers. In February of 2017, Sunshine attended an information session about the HPOG-funded Southern Oregon Health Occupations Poverty Elimination project (SOHOPE) . During the information session, Sunshine learned the healthcare industry needed skilled workers. She could see herself taking classes and earning a certificate as a healthcare professional. Sunshine says, “This opportunity came into my life in the perfect time. Being a mom was everything to me, and I knew staying in base jobs would not allow us to have a better quality of life.”

The Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) team hosted a Carryover Webinar for HPOG program directors on December 14, 2016. During this webinar, Kim Stupica-Dobbs, OFA Program Manager for HPOG, discussed the requirements of carryover requests, submission timelines, and answered questions with current HPOG grantees.

Take a look at life outside the classroom for the average HPOG 2.0 participant at the time of enrollment with the newest animation from HPOG.

This paper offers real data to provide HPOG grantees and other workforce development projects with insight into career pathway strategies that may be overlooked. In particular, it explores a phenomenon referred to as "the benefits cliffs effect." It examines families that encounter benefits cliffs in eight states and describes strategies for working with HPOG participants and other low-income individuals to confront it.

Take a look at life outside the classroom for the average HPOG 2.0 participant at the time of enrollment with the newest infographic from HPOG.

Janie grew up in a low-income neighborhood in Houston, Texas. The trailer park she lived in was constantly filled with yelling, anger, and alcohol-fueled bouts of rage from her parents. Her parents never had steady employment, nor did they provide Janie with the basic necessities she needed as a child.

Janie learned about Volunteers of America Texas Health Professions Opportunity Grants (HPOG) at a recruitment event at a local community college. She listened carefully to the presentation about HPOG but was apprehensive about applying. She figured she had nothing to lose and applied in the fall of 2016.

Nuvia came to Rochester, New York from Cuba where she worked as a registered nurse (RN). Coming to America as a refugee was exciting but not without conflict and challenges. When she relocated with her husband and two children, she did not speak English well and needed to find employment to support her family. Nuvia applied for many entry-level jobs in the healthcare field and at local restaurants, but she was turned away each time. She was not ready to give up on her goals of helping her family reach self-sufficiency.

Nuvia knew that improving her English was the first step. In October 2017, she enrolled in an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) class at the Office of Adult and Career Education Services (OACES). OACES is a recruitment partner for the ROC-HPOG: Rochester Health Profession Opportunity Grant Project , facilitated by Action for a Better Community, Inc. After enrolling in the ESOL program, Nuvia learned about ROC-HPOG from a classmate. She was very excited about the opportunity to have financial and emotional support from the ROC-HPOG team while training in the healthcare field. After meeting her navigator, Dr. Malalah, she felt that with HPOG’s help, she could once again work in the healthcare field. Working together, they devised a plan to get Nuvia back to work as a registered nurse.