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Can Certificate Programs Solve the Skills and Spatial Mismatch Problem? Job Portability and Residential Mobility in a Coding and Apprenticeship Program

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Title: Can Certificate Programs Solve the Skills and Spatial Mismatch Problem? Job Portability and Residential Mobility in a Coding and Apprenticeship Program
Language: English
Authors: Wenrui Huang (ORCID 0000-0002-9837-1525), Jason Jabbari (ORCID 0000-0002-0196-4966), Yung Chun (ORCID 0000-0003-4042-7984), Odis Johnson (ORCID 0000-0001-6633-3658)
Source: Urban Education. 2026 61(3):546-597.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 52
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Educational Certificates, Urban Education, Apprenticeships, Job Skills, Geographic Location, Employment, Relocation, Occupational Mobility, Place of Residence, STEM Education, Computer Science Education
Geographic Terms: Missouri (Saint Louis)
DOI: 10.1177/00420859251315480
ISSN: 0042-0859
1552-8340
Abstract: Nondegree certificate programs that are free, short, and located in urban areas may pose implications for the skills and spatial match between urban job-seekers and employers. Leveraging a large-scale survey of applicants to a unique technology certificate and apprenticeship program, we apply machine-learning generated propensity score weights, finding that apprenticeship completers were more likely to see a significant reduction in the distance between their homes and jobs when compared to similar non-admitted applicants. Additionally, through descriptive analyses, we see that a greater proportion of apprenticeship completers changed both their residential and employment locations. Finally, our geospatial depictions further highlighted these residential and employment relocations often clustered in areas marked by distinct racial, economic, and employment characteristics. Our findings suggest that these types of education programs may solve the spatial mismatch problem for individuals but have limited implications for residential attainment.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1495986
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Can Certificate Programs Solve the Skills and Spatial Mismatch Problem? Job Portability and Residential Mobility in a Coding and Apprenticeship Program
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wenrui+Huang%22">Wenrui Huang</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9837-1525">0000-0002-9837-1525</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jason+Jabbari%22">Jason Jabbari</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0196-4966">0000-0002-0196-4966</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Yung+Chun%22">Yung Chun</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4042-7984">0000-0003-4042-7984</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Odis+Johnson%22">Odis Johnson</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6633-3658">0000-0001-6633-3658</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Urban+Education%22"><i>Urban Education</i></searchLink>. 2026 61(3):546-597.
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
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  Data: Nondegree certificate programs that are free, short, and located in urban areas may pose implications for the skills and spatial match between urban job-seekers and employers. Leveraging a large-scale survey of applicants to a unique technology certificate and apprenticeship program, we apply machine-learning generated propensity score weights, finding that apprenticeship completers were more likely to see a significant reduction in the distance between their homes and jobs when compared to similar non-admitted applicants. Additionally, through descriptive analyses, we see that a greater proportion of apprenticeship completers changed both their residential and employment locations. Finally, our geospatial depictions further highlighted these residential and employment relocations often clustered in areas marked by distinct racial, economic, and employment characteristics. Our findings suggest that these types of education programs may solve the spatial mismatch problem for individuals but have limited implications for residential attainment.
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      – SubjectFull: Apprenticeships
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