DOI: 10.3886/icpsr38561.v1
title: Evaluation of the Second Round of Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG 2.0) Participant Interview Data, United States, 2015-2025
title: Version 1

description: The purpose of the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) Program was to provide education and training to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients and other individuals with low incomes for occupations in the healthcare field that pay well and are expected to either experience labor shortages or be in high demand. HPOG programs used the career pathways framework that combines education, occupational training, and support services to help participants enter and advance in a sequence of occupations within a specific sector or occupational cluster. Such programs seek to address many of the challenges that might prevent low-income and other disadvantaged adults from succeeding on a chosen pathway. For example, programs are flexible, with strong supports, and connect participants to employers and employment, including work-based learning opportunities. HPOG programs were expected to: target skills and competencies demanded by the healthcare industry support clearly defined career pathways result in an employer- or industry-recognized certificate or degree combine supportive services with education and training services to help participants overcome barriers to employment; and provide training and services at times and locations that are easily accessible to targeted populations. Both rounds of HPOG funding were administered by the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In 2010, OFA awarded a first round of five-year HPOG funding (HPOG 1.0) to 32 organizations located across 23 states. In 2015, OFA awarded a second round of HPOG funding (HPOG 2.0) to 32 organizations located across 21 states for a new five-year period. Abt Associates and its partners conducted a National Evaluation of HPOG 2.0. The Abt research team (Abt) conducted in-depth interviews with program participants as part of the Descriptive Evaluation component of the National Evaluation. The goal of these in-depth interviews was to gain insights into the motivations, decision making, expectations, and experiences of HPOG 2.0 program participants. The sample included 153 program participants across 14 local HPOG 2.0 programs. Interviews were semi-structured and covered a common set of topics: career pathways; employment and education histories; experience of the HPOG 2.0 training; managing work, family, and training; and finances. Quantitative data from HPOG 2.0 are available in ICPSR 38247.
description: This study's research questions included: Why did participants apply for the HPOG 2.0 program? To what other job training programs (healthcare and non-healthcare related) did they consider applying? If they have chosen a particular occupation, why did they choose this occupation for training? What other occupations did they consider? What challenges do participants face in completing the program? How do participants' finances influence their participation in the program? How do HPOG 2.0 participants think about career ladders and pathways? What supports have HPOG 2.0 participants received both in the program and outside the program, and what are participants' experiences with those program supports (including personal, academic, and employment supports)?
description: Abt conducted 153 semi-structured in-depth interviews with HPOG 2.0 program participants from a sample of 14 HPOG 2.0 programs. Abt selected the 14 programs to reflect diversity in grantee organization type, geography, projected enrollment, prior HPOG grant experience, demographic characteristics of their participants, and percentage of those participants receiving non-financial support services such as academic coaching and career coaching. Abt recruited interviewees to reflect each local program population in demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, levels of healthcare training (entry, mid-, or high-level), and variation in progress through training. Compared with HPOG 2.0 participants in the selected programs, the HPOG interviewees had slightly more participants who identified as White, slightly fewer participants who identified as Black or Hispanic, more women, slightly more participants receiving support services, and slightly fewer participants enrolling in multiple trainings. Participation in the interviews was voluntary. Interviews usually lasted between 60 and 90 minutes. Abt scheduled interviews as flexibly as possible over 4 to 5 days in each program location. Interviewees received a gift card to thank them for their time. Interviews were semi-structured and covered a common set of topics: career pathways; employment and education histories; experience of the HPOG 2.0 training; managing work, family, and training; and finances. Interviewers used a conversational approach to allow probing. Data was analyzed using applied thematic analysis to draw lessons about each of the key research questions, as well as identify emergent themes in the data. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using qualitative software. Please refer to the design report for more details: Design Report for In-Depth Interviews with HPOG 2.0 Program Participants.
description: This study is comprised of 153 qualitative interview transcripts.
description: Datasets: DS1: Evaluation of the Second Round of Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG 2.0) Participant Interview Data, United States, 2015-2025
description: Low-income adults in the United States.
description: face-to-face interviewKey staff on this project include: Project Officers (OPRE): Nicole Constance, PhD and Lisa Zingman Project Directors (Abt Associates): Gretchen Locke and Robin Koralek Principal Investigators (Abt Associates): Jacob Klerman and Thomas Konrad, PhD For additional information on HPOG 2.0, please visit the HPOG 2.0 study website. Reports based on this data collection are available at Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) Research and Evaluation Portfolio | The Administration for Children and Families (hhs.gov).