![A person wearing a white lab coat stands in an office with a window in the background.](https://socialfinance.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/https___www.imagesofempowerment.org_wp-content_uploads_Packard_NR_FULLRELEASE_USA_033-1000x667.jpg")
Workforce & Education Investments, Workforce & Economic Mobility
Highlights
$6Min funding provided by the Massachusetts legislature and the U.S. Department of the Treasury through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA)
Social Finance, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services, is proud to launch the Massachusetts Career Ladder Program (MA CLP). This program provides multiple forms of financial, and wraparound supports to enable 325 Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) and other direct care workers in skilled nursing facilities and home or community-based care settings to reduce their work hours to half time and enroll in Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) programs. While enrolled in an LPN program, participants receive weekly payments of $440 which helps to cover living expenses while they work reduced hours. Participants also have access to academic and personal coaching support from Jewish Vocational Services (JVS) and funding for tuition not covered by other grant programs, such as MassReconnect. If participants return to full-time work as an LPN with their sponsoring employer, the employer will make repayments to CLP covering their weekly stipend throughout a retention period of four years.
Supported by $6 million in funding from the Massachusetts legislature and the U.S. Department of the Treasury through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), the MA CLP aims to:
CNAs in Massachusetts currently earn an average of $20 per hour. After completing their certification and becoming LPNs, these individuals can double their earnings, with hourly wages rising to approximately $40 per hour, offering a transformative opportunity for career advancement and financial growth.
![A person wearing blue medical scrubs and white shoes stands indoors near a staircase and wooden door, with hands in pockets.](https://socialfinance.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Katie-750x1000.jpg")
For Katie, the MA Career Ladder Program Opened the Door to Nursing
Through the MA Career Ladder Program, Katie enrolled in a 10-month Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program at North Shore Community College. The program allowed her to reduce her work hours while continuing to earn a paycheck, making it possible to pursue her dream without leaving Vinfen. “If I wasn’t able to reduce my hours, I wouldn’t have done this program. I would have had to leave the company,” Katie explained.
