Federal money for workforce training begins, but few programs qualify

Congress has opened up federal Pell grants to help pay for short-term workforce training, but many programs are struggling to meet the requirements. Annelise Capossela for NPR hide caption toggle caption Annelise Capossela for NPR ST. PAUL, Minn. — In a night class at St. Paul College here in Minnesota, students are practicing the nursing skills they'll need to pass the state exam in a few weeks. A few are emptying catheter bags filled with fake urine. Some rehearse using a bedpan — placing it in the right spot, cleaning out the imaginary contents. It's a Certified Nursing Assistant program, and at the end of the non-credit course, students will be ready for in-demand jobs at long-term care facilities, nursing homes and hospitals. The class costs more than $1,000, and while most students' tuition is covered by employers looking to train their existing workforce, a few, like Datrina Hurt, 37, pay out of pocket. " I got my income tax return this year and I figured, I can do a small investment in my life. Why not?" She's a mom of two, currently unemployed. But she has her eye on a $20-an-hour job at a nursing home nearby. "It'll definitely be an upgrade for me and my two boys." This type of course was exactly what members of Congress were targeting when they opened up federal Pell Grants — free money for low-income students — to help pay for short-term workforce training programs. …