Introduction
Research Questions
- Was the intervention implemented as designed?
- How did services received differ between study participants who could access the Health Careers for All program versus those who could not?
- What was the effect of access to Health Careers for All on short-term educational outcomes, specifically credentials earned and hours of occupational training received?
This brief summarizes the implementation and early impacts of the Health Careers for All program. Health Careers for All aimed to help low-income adults access and complete occupational training that can lead to increased employment and higher earnings. It is one of nine career pathways programs being evaluated under the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) study sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Using a rigorous research design, the study found that Health Careers for All increased the percentage of participants enrolling in healthcare-related training over an 18-month follow-up period. However, there was no impact overall on receipt of a credential or total hours of occupational training. Future reports will examine whether the program resulted in gains in employment and earnings.
Purpose
The Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County received a Health Profession Opportunity Grant from ACF to implement Health Careers for All. The program aimed to engage low-income adults, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients, in college and facilitate their academic and career progress. The program had four key elements: (1) navigation and case management services; (2) tuition-free access to occupational training in healthcare fields, funded through “cohorts” (course packages open exclusively to participants and fully funded by the program) based at community and technical colleges or through Individual Training Accounts; (3) employment services; and (4) financial assistance during and immediately following training to help address barriers to program completion or employment.
Key Findings and Highlights
- Most Health Careers for All treatment group members participated in some type of education or training program.
- Program participants’ first enrollment in healthcare training most commonly was at a private, non-degree granting school.
- The program achieved impacts on enrollment in training in a healthcare field, but there was no impact on receipt of a credential or total hours of occupational training.
- Health Careers for All did increase employment in a healthcare occupation, but so far there were no other impacts on employment.
Methods
The Health Careers for All evaluation included an implementation study that examines the design and operation of the program and enrolled students’ participation patterns, and an impact study that uses an experimental design to measure differences in educational and employment outcomes From September 2012 to December 2014, more than 650 program applicants were randomly assigned to either the treatment or the control group. Prior to estimating Health Careers for All impacts, the research team published an analysis plan specifying key hypotheses and outcome measures, and registered the outcomes. Data sources were an 18-month follow-up survey and site visits to document program implementation and operations.