Policymakers and educators have promoted vocational certificate programs at community colleges as an effective way to meet labor market demands and help individuals move out of low-wage work.
Over 100 in-depth interviews with mostly Latino and Black certificate earners, as well as college personnel and employers, reveal the following:

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• Certificate earners have clear and highly consistent expectations: to secure a job with a living wage, decent hours, a safe working environment, and opportunities for advancement.
   

• Colleges succeed in meeting graduates' expectations when they target specific quality jobs. They fail when they merely aim to "get students' foot in the door" or "raise awareness about the industry."
   

• A key consequence of failing to meet learner expectations is the disillusionment in the value of college.