Local Labor Market Alignment of Short-Term Certificate Programs
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| Title: | Local Labor Market Alignment of Short-Term Certificate Programs |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Sophie McGuinness (ORCID |
| Source: | Research in Higher Education. 2025 66(6). |
| Availability: | Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 27 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education Two Year Colleges |
| Descriptors: | Labor Market, Alignment (Education), Community Colleges, Community College Students, Student Certification, Labor Force Development, Credentials, Educational Trends, Education Work Relationship, Employment, Employment Patterns |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s11162-025-09852-8 |
| ISSN: | 0361-0365 1573-188X |
| Abstract: | Short-term certificate (STC) programs at community colleges represent a long-standing policy priority to align accelerated postsecondary credentials with job opportunities in local labor markets. Despite large investments in developing STCs, little evidence exists about where and when STCs are opened and whether community colleges open new programs of study in coordination with labor market trends. Using public workforce and postsecondary data, I examine health and manufacturing STC program openings to understand alignment with labor market activity in related industries. I find that STCs are spatially aligned across labor markets within a state, but not necessarily temporally aligned with county-specific trends. One additional STC per college is associated with labor markets that had 2-3% points more total employment and new hires in related industries. Large launches of clustered STC programs occurred before periods of growth in health employment but declines in manufacturing. Large launches preceded earnings growth of 2-5% points in both sectors. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1479364 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Short-term certificate (STC) programs at community colleges represent a long-standing policy priority to align accelerated postsecondary credentials with job opportunities in local labor markets. Despite large investments in developing STCs, little evidence exists about where and when STCs are opened and whether community colleges open new programs of study in coordination with labor market trends. Using public workforce and postsecondary data, I examine health and manufacturing STC program openings to understand alignment with labor market activity in related industries. I find that STCs are spatially aligned across labor markets within a state, but not necessarily temporally aligned with county-specific trends. One additional STC per college is associated with labor markets that had 2-3% points more total employment and new hires in related industries. Large launches of clustered STC programs occurred before periods of growth in health employment but declines in manufacturing. Large launches preceded earnings growth of 2-5% points in both sectors. |
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| ISSN: | 0361-0365 1573-188X |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s11162-025-09852-8 |
