5/31/13 – Focus Groups conducted in Tulsa

In May, researchers Tara Smith and Kristin Christensen conducted focus groups with participants in the Tulsa CAP CareerAdvance® program. CareerAdvance® is a sectoral job development program designed for low-skilled, low-income parents of children served by early childhood programs in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It equips parents with workforce training and gainful employment opportunities in the healthcare field, such as medical coding, health information technology, patient care, and nursing. Ms. Smith and Ms. Christensen met with 21 individuals in five focus groups to learn about students’ experiences in the courses, their thoughts about the program, and how participation has affected their financial state and personal lives. Participants emphasized that they were appreciative of the opportunities the program gave them and liked that the CareerAdvance® Career Coaches helped keep them motivated as they worked through their coursework. Lessons learned and suggestions for improvement were shared with CareerAdvance® staff.