Resource Library

Cherif is a single father who was laid off from his retail job due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was accepted into the Southwestern Connecticut Health CareeRx Academy in September 2020. Cherif completed certified nurse aide (CNA) training and earned his certification in March 2021. He is currently employed.

Ali was working at Wal-Mart to earn tuition for his healthcare training. He was accepted into the Missouri Healthcare Industry Training and Education (HITE) program in December 2017. Ali enrolled into registered nurse (RN) classes and graduated in December 2019. He went on to pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) in January 2020 and obtained employment the same month.

Samuel is an immigrant from Liberia. When he came to the United States, he decided to pursue his dream of becoming a nurse. He was first accepted into the Next Steps II program in the summer of 2018 but had to drop out after his first semester. Samuel pursued an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program in the summer of 2019 and completed his studies in December 2020.

Byanca moved to Southern Oregon to escape a bad marriage.  As an unemployed single mother, she wanted to improve her life and better support her child. A few of Byanca’s siblings work in the healthcare industry, and they encouraged her interest in the field. At the prompting of her big brothers and sisters, she attended a Southern Oregon HOPE (SOHOPE) orientation. She learned that with SOHOPE support, she could earn a certificate leading to a well-paying, reliable job in healthcare. After being accepted into the SOHOPE program, she completed her prerequisites and enrolled in the Medical Administrative Assistant (MAA) training program.

A dead-end job with no discernible future led Rose to find a new career path courtesy of the Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board’s Health Careers Advancement Project (Health CAP) funded by the Health Professions Opportunity Grant (HPOG) program.

The Volunteers of America Michigan Health Profession Opportunity Grant (VOAMI HPOG) program provides healthcare training opportunities for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, and other low-income individuals in the greater Detroit area. VOAMI HPOG’s goal is to break the cycle of poverty through free education and job training for employment in the healthcare industry.

This success story video features Stephanie Salinas, who is an example of how HPOG can take the aspirations and experiences of participants and help turn them into achievement. Stephanie's involvement with Alamo Colleges HPOG in San Antonio, TX helped her persevere to overcome personal and professional difficulties. Her success story is an example of a carefully constructed and collective effort.

Health-Care Ute Project (HCUTE) uses Distance Education to connect rural, at-risk adult members of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe with post-secondary education. Education options for reservation Natives are usually inaccessible and unfamiliar. The few tribal members who leave often find the experience culturally intimidating, and dropout rates are high. For those who succeed, they do not return to the reservation after accepting jobs in their field, which weakens the local infrastructure.

The HPOG program serves participants who are diverse in age, gender, native language, cultural background, and geographic location.

The HPOG program has incorporated innovative practices since its inception.