Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Helping low-skilled individuals achieve stable work histories and move along career pathways is a goal of many public workforce development programs. However, how to measure career progress is not straightforward or fully established in policy research. This paper presents a set of metrics on career progress using outcomes up to three years after enrollment for participants in the first round of the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) Program. HPOG funded 32 grantees from 2010 to 2015 to provide training in high-demand healthcare professions targeted to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients and other low-income individuals. The paper’s results show participant progress over time using measures of training completion, occupational upgrades, and increases in earnings.