Across both rounds of HPOG, many participants opted for entry-level trainings like CNA programs, which boasted high completion rates. Though on-average participants who completed these programs had employment and earnings increases, the gains were small, and participants who completed no training at all fared as well or better.

Entry-level trainings tend to be shorter, have higher completion rates, cost less, and lead to in-demand jobs. They were widespread in HPOG and may be an accessible first step for people with low incomes and no prior health care work experience. But completers of these entry-level trainings did not usually obtain family-sustaining earnings, and non–health care entry-level jobs may offer higher pay with no certification requirements.

Though higher-level health care jobs pay well, only some HPOG participants started at the entry level and ascended to a higher level of health care training. The gap in skills, time commitment, and cost between short and longer trainings may be too large for many participants.

The following publications explore the pros and cons of entry-level trainings the HPOG program. These findings carry significant equity implications and offer insights for program administrators, educators, and employers:

• Multiple Entry-Level Trainings and Credentials for Career Progress: Results from the Health Profession Opportunity Grants Program (HPOG 2.0). September 2022. This report examines the wages of participants who completed multiple entry-level trainings or credentials. Completers of multiple entry-level trainings were paid slightly more ($0.23 an hour) than completers of just one entry-level training. Those who obtained multiple credentials were not paid more than participants who obtained one or no credential.
• Who Doesn’t Start or Complete Training: Results from the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) Program. March 2022. This report examines the characteristics and program activities associated with who does or does not start and complete health care training. When controlling for other factors, receiving supports was generally associated with starting and completing training, and each added month of training decreased the likelihood of completion by 1 percentage point.
• Employment and Earnings Outcomes by Length and Occupation of Healthcare Training: Results from the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) Program. January 2022. This report examines the earnings and employment outcomes of HPOG 1.0 participants who completed at least one health care training by both the length of training and occupation of training. Participants who completed medium and long trainings had substantially better employment outcomes than entry-level completers. A smaller share of participants of color took those medium- and long-term training compared with white participants.
• Career Prospects for Certified Nursing Assistants: Insights for Training Programs and Policymakers from the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) Program. November 2018. This report provides an overview of the benefits and drawbacks of CNA training, and it shows that although CNA completers earned more after training than before training, they still earned less than most other types of training completers in HPOG 1.0.
• Measuring Career Progress in the Health Profession Opportunity Grants: (HPOG) 1.0 Program. November 2017. This brief measures HPOG 1.0 participants’ progress in occupational training, employment, and earnings for up to three years following program entry.