Hostos Community College’s Division for Continuing Education and Workforce Development (CEWD) has been awarded a five-year, $10.7 million Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to operate its Allied Health Career Pipeline Program.
 
This is the largest grant award in the College’s history. 
 
The Allied Health Career Pipeline Program will provide training for in-demand healthcare occupations to Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) recipients and other low-income individuals. Over the five-year grant period, the Program will enroll over 1,000 eligible New Yorkers in occupational training to become Certified Nurse Assistants, Patient Care Technicians, Health Information Technicians, Clinical Medical Assistants, Community Health Workers, and Home Health Aides. Eligible candidates also receive a variety of support services, job placement assistance, and guidance on pursing a college degree. 
 
This is the second time the College has been awarded a substantial HPOG grant. In 2010, CEWD received a five-year, $7 million grant to implement the Allied Health Career Pipeline Program. Each year it successfully provided eligible New Yorkers with industry-recognized healthcare certificates and employment.  
 
“I am delighted that we have received this grant award,” said Carlos Molina, Vice President of Continuing Education and Workforce Development at Hostos.  “This grant allows CEWD to help the neediest New Yorkers achieve socioeconomic mobility. This award is also an acknowledgment of our hard work to achieve performance outcomes. This would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our entire staff, including Program Director, Dana J. Lennon, and the Executive Director for Workforce Development, Evelyn Fernández-Ketcham.”
 
In addition to continuing to offer its successful program and services, in its second iteration (HPOG 2.0), the Allied Health Career Pipeline Program will add new occupational trainings. To help eligible candidates identify professional advancement opportunities, the Program will also provide detailed information on career ladders. This will include information on all the certificates and trainings required for professional advancement. The Allied Health Career Pipeline Program will also add a college transition component to its HPOG 2.0 program to help students obtain an advanced degree.
 
“I am proud of the Division for Continuing Education and Workforce Development and the Allied Health Career Pipeline Program team for obtaining the largest grant in the College’s history,” said Hostos Community College President David Gómez.  “It expands our capacity to provide effective workforce development programs that enhance the lives of TANF recipients and other low-income New Yorkers. The Allied Health Career Pipeline Program is an excellent example of how the College’s dedicated staff breathes life into Hostos’ mission.”    
 
Members of the grant team included Evelyn Fernández-Ketcham (Executive Director of Workforce Development), Dana J. Lennon (Program Director), and Joan Falcetta (Director of Finance).
 
For more information about the Allied Health Career Pipeline Program, contact Dana J. Lennon by phone at 718-664-2532 or via email at dlennon@hostos.cuny.edu.

About Hostos Community College
Eugenio María de Hostos Community College is an educational agent for change that has been transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities since 1968. It serves as a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, as well as a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs. The College’s unique "Student Success Coaching Unit" provides students with individualized guidance and exemplifies its emphasis on student support services.

Recently named one of the top 10 finalists for the 2015 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, Hostos offers 27 associate degree programs and two certificate programs that facilitate easy transfer to The City University of New York’s (CUNY) four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions. The College has an award-winning Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development that offers professional development courses and certificate-bearing workforce training programs. Hostos is part of CUNY, the nation’s leading urban public university, which serves more than 500,000 students at 24 colleges.