Pipeline for the Advancement of the Healthcare Workforce (PATH)
Summary
The PATH (Pipeline for the Advancement of the Healthcare Workforce) Evaluation Project seeks to examine the experiences and perspectives regarding how Illinois community colleges engage learners—primarily adult learners—in their CTE healthcare programs.
Learn more about PATH.
Goals
This one-year evaluation hopes to address the following goals:
- Understand how the PATH program is functioning in practice, whether it is meeting its stated goals, and how it is impacting students and the healthcare workforce.
- Explore the experiences and perspectives of adult learners participating in CTE programs at Illinois community colleges, specifically those enrolled in the PATH program.
- Identify key implementation practices, outcomes, challenges, and opportunities for improvement in engaging adult learners.
PATH Evaluation Report
This report covers how the PATH program is achieving its intended outcomes and overall impact on participants and targeted workforce pathways, with the goals of achieving equitable outcomes for priority populations and contributing to workforce diversification. Other areas of the report include how PATH program funding and implementation practices are being utilized across institutions, as well as how students experience and navigate the PATH program and if their needs are being met.
Qualitative data collected through focus group interviews, program documents, interviews with ICCB staff, and student success stories were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify common themes. Quantitative data collected through a Qualtrics online survey administered via individual college PATH program offices attracted additional participants. Together, these methods provided a comprehensive understanding of program implementation, participant needs, and perceived impacts, allowing for a robust and well-rounded assessment of the PATH initiative. Limitations to this study include small participation rates, biased responses from current PATH program participants, and a lack of perspectives from non-completers.