People who want to get off government assistance often find the deck stacked against them because they don’t have the training to get a job that pays enough to make up for the ancillary benefits—subsidized rent, insurance—that come with being on the government dole.
Still others who get into college or training programs can be one automotive repair or child’s health issue away from dropping out. But now, thanks to a $13 million grant, the Community College of Allegheny County is working to change that dynamic for 1,860 low-income and assistance-receiving individuals with its free Health Professional Opportunity Grant program.
The program is designed to help these individuals get the training to secure jobs that lead to self-sufficiency, but the key, said program director Michelle Tedder, is its case management services.
“This is a high-risk group with a lot of barriers. So, if you don’t have daycare, we can support that. If you need transportation, we can support that. What do you need to stay in school,” she said. “It can really people’s lives around.”
For Sherell Ginn, a 47-year-old single mother and grandmother, it has done just that. A year ago, she was making barely more than minimum wage driving a van for disabled children. Now she is a certified nursing assistant employed by Pittsburgh Mercy in one of its residential programs for adults with intellectual disabilities.
“I was looking to better myself, and the nursing advisor at CCAC, Sam Brown, told me about this program, and it’s been a Godsend, tenfold,” she said. “I was taking home less than $400 every two weeks, that’s less than at GetGo. So, to go from that to starting at more than $9 an hour, it’s a blessing.”
Not only did the program provide Ginn with the free tuition and bus passes she needed to complete her seven-week program, it also prepared her to get a job. It applied for her to go to its partner organization Dress for Success, which outfitted her with uniforms, shoes, and a suit for interviews.
Currently, CCAC has more than 600 individuals enrolled in one of the program’s nine medical career paths. To qualify, applicants need only be Allegheny County residents, pass a criminal background check, and meet the income guidelines.
Because the grant is designed to test how much the wrap-around services contribute to achieving the goal of moving people to self-sufficiency, once individuals are approved, Tedder said, they are randomly assigned either to the control group—eligible for Pell grants which pay for the classes—or the treatment group, which receives the more intensive case management services.
“I call it the ‘gold card,’” she said.
Ginn agrees. After two months, she was able to put down $2,500 on a car, can pay all her bills, and can put money away for emergencies.
“This program got me to Mercy, and they gave me this opportunity to shine. This is about stepping up—not just in a job, but in life. Now, if my daughter needs glasses or has to see a dentist I can do that,” she said. “I tell everybody about this because I can’t thank CCAC enough, and I hope they can reach the ears of those who claim they have nowhere to go—because they do.”
(For more information on available career tracks, income eligibility and to the apply for the program, visit https://www.ccac.edu/HPOG.aspx.)
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