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Alameda County’s CalWORKs medical-assistant program reports 77% classroom-plus-externship completion
Summary
County staff told the Social Services Committee that the CalWORKs medical-assistant (MA) program launched in 2018 has enrolled 88 participants through April 2024 with a 77% completion rate for classroom plus 200 paid externship hours, offers phlebotomy certification and a $2,000 completion stipend, and is preparing an RFP for a new three-year contract.
Alameda County Social Services Agency staff presented an overview of the CalWORKs medical-assistant (MA) training and placement program to the Social Services Committee on Nov. 25, describing eligibility rules, curriculum structure, outcomes and next steps.
"Alameda County Social Services Agency, ACSSA, saw this as a great opportunity to address the growing needs of medical professionals by starting a medical assistant training program in 2018," said Ebony Hansi, an administrative specialist with ACSSA’s Workforce and Benefits Administration, explaining the program’s role in connecting CalWORKs participants to short-term medical careers.
Hansi said the program provides classroom instruction, paid externships and job-placement assistance in partnership with the Spanish-Speaking Unity Council and Bay Area Medical Academy. The program prepares students for the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) exam and, after cohort 4, added phlebotomy certification to enhance marketability.
Eligibility requirements presented include at least 12 months remaining on a participant’s CalWORKs time clock, a high school diploma or GED, authorization to work in the United States, current immunizations or willingness to obtain them, English-language proficiency, and passing a drug and criminal background screen. Classroom training runs Monday–Friday in modules; the course model uses seven modules (after phlebotomy was added) followed by a 200-hour paid externship in Alameda County health clinics.
Since the pilot began in 2018 through April 2024, Hansi reported 88 participants entered the program with a 77% completion rate for the classroom and 200 paid externship hours; 29% of participants secured MA positions across the San Francisco Bay Area. Hansi said phlebotomy pass rates have been about 70% since that component was added and that cohort graduates receive a $2,000 completion stipend.
When asked whether the county funds the program entirely, presenters said Workforce and Benefits Administration covers the program cost and that annual expenditures vary; presenters did not provide a single-year total on the record. Hansi also said the county pays for a minimum of 25 participant slots per cohort and typically aims for 30.
Jeanette Perez, a supervising program specialist in WBA, said historical participants have been primarily English speakers and that language-skill tracking could be improved for future RFP cycles to better align cohorts with local clinic needs.
Hansi said the agency expects the current cohort to graduate on Jan. 31, 2025, and is preparing an RFP for a new three-year contract period. The committee received the informational presentation and did not take a vote.
