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Project ARRIBA tells county it placed hundreds into living‑wage health careers; reports high ROI
Summary
Project ARRIBA told the Commissioners Court the county’s investment helped place 213 rural participants into living‑wage health careers with an average starting wage of about $52,000 and an 11:1 payroll return on county dollars over the past decade.
Project ARRIBA presented its annual update July 27, telling the Commissioners Court that county investments in the training program have supported rural county residents into healthcare and allied careers. Interim CEO Olivia Valdez said the program’s county‑funded activities helped 213 participants find jobs that now generate roughly $11 million in annual payroll in the region.
Valdez said the county’s dollars are used mainly for direct participant expenses — tuition, books and materials — and a smaller portion for case management staffing. She said Project ARRIBA exceeded contractual performance targets for the current grant year: as of May the program had served 83 participants (contract target 60), graduated 32 (target 13) and placed 15 in jobs (target 13). A UTEP impact study cited by Project ARRIBA estimated an approximately 28:1 regional return for every dollar invested in Project ARRIBA across the wider program context; Valdez presented the county’s program as a proven pathway into nursing and allied health in rural areas of the county.
Commissioners praised Project ARRIBA’s results and requested more granular placement data for the current grant year (employers, wages and time to placement) to better track alignment with local hiring needs, including University Medical Center placements.
