Workforce Pell Program Standards
Short ETPL programs against the Workforce Pell standards
States already publish completion and employment results for short training programs on their Eligible Training Provider Lists (ETPLs) under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. 3,710 ETPL listings fall inside the Workforce Pell length window as listed. Of the 1,106 that report both rates, 40% reach 70% completion and 70% second-quarter employment, the interim standards in 34 CFR 690.94(a)(2)(i).
Employment is the harder test: 78% of rated listings reach 70% completion and 52% reach 70% employment. ETPL figures cover every student, not only Pell recipients, and ETPL completion has no time limit, so the comparison shows where programs stand before any Governor’s certification, not whether they would pass.
Released November 2026. ETPL file compiled from state ETA-9171 reports
3,710
ETPL listings in the length window
8 to 14 weeks and 150 to 599 hours as listed; 49 states
1,106
Report both outcome rates
Completion and second-quarter employment, 10 or more students
40%
Clear both 70%% marks
445 of 1,106 rated listings
52%
Clear the 70% employment mark
Against 78% that clear the completion mark
Which short ETPL programs clear both 70 percent marks?
445 of the 1,106 listings that report both rates clear both marks, 78% on completion alone and 52% on employment alone. Program-level results for every listing are in the state and college reports: each listing against both marks, near misses with the additional completers or employed students needed to reach 70 percent, peers, and field benchmarks.
Record programs that also appear on their state’s ETPL
47 of the 115 programs named in the State Implementation Record match an ETPL listing at the same institution, checked by hand. The ETPL figures cover the ETPL reporting period, before Workforce Pell began. Listed weeks are the ETPL listing’s full-time length; where a listing runs 15 weeks or longer, it describes a schedule other than the version submitted for Workforce Pell.
| Record program | Institution | State | ETPL listing | Listed weeks | Completion | Employed Q2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phlebotomy Technician | Kilgore College | TX | Phlebotomy | -1 | 95% | 88% |
| Electrical Lineworker | Forsyth Technical Community College | NC | Electrical Lineman | 16 | 92% | 87% |
| Emergency Medical Technician (Basic) | Forsyth Technical Community College | NC | Emergency Medical Technician Initial Course | 20 | 86% | 79% |
| Fire Academy | Forsyth Technical Community College | NC | Fire Academy | 27 | n/a | n/a |
| Nursing Assistant | Forsyth Technical Community College | NC | Nursing Assistant | 8 | 79% | 91% |
| Nursing Assistant II | Forsyth Technical Community College | NC | Nursing Assistant II | 16 | n/a | n/a |
| Welding Industrial | Forsyth Technical Community College | NC | Welding, Industrial | 16 | 65% | 76% |
| Lineworker Training Program | Lawson State Community College | AL | Pre-Apprenticeship Lineworker Training Program | -1 | 96% | 19% |
| Commercial Driver License | Eastern Arizona College | AZ | Commercial Driver License - Certificate | 17 | 100% | 100% |
| Phlebotomy | Colorado Mountain College | CO | PHLEBOTOMY 1 | 5 | 77% | 62% |
| Commercial Driving Class A | Lanier Technical College | GA | Commercial Driving Class A --CT61 Certificate | 8 | 92% | n/a |
| Commercial Driving Class A | North Georgia Technical College | GA | Commercial Truck Driving Certificate--CT61 | 8 | 84% | 84% |
| Commercial Driving Class A | Oconee Fall Line Technical College | GA | COMMERCIAL TRUCK DRIVING TCC--CSQ1 | 15 | 75% | 75% |
| Electrical Lineworker Apprentice | South Georgia Technical College | GA | ELECTRICAL LINEWORKER APPRENTICE--EL11 | 35 | 96% | n/a |
| Certified Clinical Medical Assistant | Vincennes University | IN | Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (3896 Jasper) | 14 | n/a | n/a |
| Electrical Maintenance Technician Bootcamp | Vincennes University | IN | Electrical Maintenance Technician Bootcamp (10002351 Jasper) | 4 | n/a | n/a |
| Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) | Iowa Western Community College | IA | Emergency Medical Technician | 15 | 6% | 83% |
| Patient Care Tech | Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester | NJ | Patient Care Technician Program | -1 | n/a | n/a |
| Nurse Aide II | Beaufort County Community College | NC | Nurse Aide II | 16 | 72% | 90% |
| Certified Nursing Aide/Assistant | Bladen Community College | NC | Certified Nursing Aide/Assistant (CNA) | 6 | 81% | 83% |
| Truck Driver Training | Bladen Community College | NC | Truck Driver Training | 20 | n/a | n/a |
| Emergency Medical Technician (EMT I) | Blue Ridge Community College | NC | Emergency Medical Technician Certificate | 8 | n/a | 74% |
| Nursing Assistant Certificate | Blue Ridge Community College | NC | Nursing Assistant Certificate | 4 | n/a | n/a |
| Phlebotomy Certificate | Blue Ridge Community College | NC | Phlebotomy Certificate | 52 | n/a | n/a |
| Electrical Lineworker | Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute | NC | Electrical Lineman I & II - Certificate | 14 | 94% | 84% |
| Nurse Aide I | Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute | NC | Nurse Aide I | 11 | 85% | 74% |
| Truck Driver Training | Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute | NC | Truck Driver Training | 9 | 87% | 80% |
| BioWork Process Technician | Central Carolina Community College | NC | Bioworks Process Technician | 16 | 85% | 77% |
| Nurse Aide Level I | Central Carolina Community College | NC | Nurse Aide I | 8 | 81% | 75% |
| Phlebotomy Technician | Central Carolina Community College | NC | Phlebotomy Technician | 8 | 84% | 80% |
| Nurse Aide I (CNA) | Central Piedmont Community College | NC | Nurse Aide I (CNA) | 16 | 50% | 78% |
| Phlebotomy Training | Central Piedmont Community College | NC | Phlebotomy Training | 18 | n/a | n/a |
| Electrical Lineworker Academy | Cleveland Community College | NC | Electrical Lineworker Academy | 10 | 97% | 65% |
| Truck Driver Training | Craven Community College | NC | Truck Driver Training WFD/CE | 8 | 94% | 59% |
| Emergency Medical Technician (Basic) | Gaston College | NC | Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)-Continuing Education | 20 | 93% | 80% |
| Truck Driver Training | Gaston College | NC | Truck Driver Training | 9 | n/a | 100% |
| Truck Driver Training | Guilford Technical Community College | NC | Truck Driver Training | 8 | 92% | n/a |
| Truck Driver Training | Johnston Community College | NC | Truck Driver Training | 8 | n/a | n/a |
| Nurse Assistant I | Mitchell Community College | NC | Nurse Assistant I | 16 | 73% | 75% |
| Emergency Medical Technician | Richmond Community College | NC | Emergency Medical Technician - Con Ed | 9 | 74% | 33% |
| Pharmacy Technician | Robeson Community College | NC | Pharmacy Technician | 26 | 68% | 70% |
| Truck Driving | Rosedale Technical College | PA | Truck Driving - CDL-A | 10 | 91% | 16% |
| Commercial Vehicle Operations | L. Fletcher Technical Community College | LA | Commercial Vehicle Operations | 6 | 98% | 83% |
| NCCER Core/Electrical Level 1 | L. Fletcher Technical Community College | LA | NCCER CORE/Electrical Level I | 12 | n/a | n/a |
| Powerline Worker | Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College | LA | Power Line Worker | 32 | n/a | n/a |
| Medical Assistant | Lakes Region Community College | NH | Medical Assistant Certificate Training | 15 | 86% | 71% |
| Microelectronics Bootcamp | Nashua Community College | NH | Microelectronic Bootcamp | 10 | 100% | 62% |
Which fields come closest?
Rated listings in the length window, by four-digit CIP field, for fields with at least 15 rated listings. Medians across listings.
| Field (CIP) | Rated listings | Median completion | Median employed Q2 | Clear both | Median Q2 earnings | Median cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Transportation | 131 | 91% | 73% | 68 (52%) | $10,925 | $4,500 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | 117 | 85% | 76% | 57 (49%) | $7,152 | $1,946 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | 82 | 86% | 70% | 33 (40%) | $6,867 | $2,242 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | 69 | 90% | 76% | 34 (49%) | $6,907 | $2,835 |
| Precision Metal Working | 58 | 94% | 73% | 27 (47%) | $8,922 | $4,142 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | 55 | 88% | 62% | 18 (33%) | $10,769 | $3,859 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 46 | 86% | 78% | 23 (50%) | $8,640 | $2,208 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 45 | 88% | 68% | 16 (36%) | $7,446 | $2,040 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | 40 | 94% | 81% | 26 (65%) | $6,798 | $4,576 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 35 | 55% | 76% | 1 (3%) | $8,102 | $2,055 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 27 | 89% | 68% | 10 (37%) | $8,157 | $3,703 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 21 | 62% | 72% | 4 (19%) | $9,214 | $5,898 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | 20 | 70% | 78% | 10 (50%) | $9,096 | $1,610 |
| Computer Programming | 19 | 89% | 59% | 5 (26%) | $12,272 | $9,380 |
| Business Operations Support and Assistant Services | 19 | 83% | 62% | 5 (26%) | $7,407 | $3,299 |
| Electrical and Power Transmission Installers | 18 | 91% | 70% | 9 (50%) | $10,694 | $2,577 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 16 | 92% | 55% | 5 (31%) | $8,933 | $6,750 |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services | 15 | 95% | 58% | 5 (33%) | $6,024 | $4,650 |
| Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection | 15 | 81% | 75% | 9 (60%) | $8,901 | $3,022 |
How many short programs does each state list?
State ETPLs differ in size and in how many outcomes they report. A state with few rated listings has suppressed or unreported figures, not necessarily weak programs.
How to read these figures
- Source
- The full program file published on TrainingProviderResults.gov by the U.S. Department of Labor, compiled from the ETA-9171 reports states file for their Eligible Training Provider Lists. 77,085 listings in 55 states and territories. The latest date a program was added to a state list in the file is October 22, 2024.
- Length window
- 34 CFR 690.92 requires at least 8 but fewer than 15 weeks of instruction and at least 150 but fewer than 600 clock hours. The file’s hours field never exceeds 50 and behaves as hours per week, so total hours here are listed hours per week times listed weeks. A college catalog settles whether a program is inside the window.
- Standards
- For 2026-27 through 2028-29, 34 CFR 690.94(a)(2)(i) requires a Governor’s certification of a completion rate of at least 70 percent within 150 percent of normal time and a job placement rate of at least 70 percent, measured as students employed in the second quarter after exiting, using wage records. From 2029-30 the placement rate counts employment in the occupation the program trains for, after completion.
- What differs
- ETPL rates cover all students in the program, not only Pell recipients; ETPL completion has no time limit; and a listing is a program as the state lists it, which may combine sections a college reports separately to the U.S. Department of Education.
- Small numbers
- Rates are shown only where the denominator is at least 10. The file marks suppressed figures with -1; those listings are “not rated.”