Limitations due to Occupational Credentialing for Immigrants in Massachusetts: Survey Report

Authors

Phillip Granberry, UMass BostonFollow
Florita Coto Tristán, University of Massachusetts BostonFollow
Fabián Torres-Ardila, University of Massachusetts BostonFollow
Jonathan Vega-Martinez, University of Massachusetts BostonFollow
Maria M. Pache de Athayde, University of Massachusetts BostonFollow

Document Type

Research Report

Publication Date

5-2025

Abstract

The Gastón Institute began investigating occupational credentialing because of a previous research project with English for New Bostonians, which had found that many people in its ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes complained that lack of an occupational credential had caused them to suffer unemployment or underemployment. The Latino Equity Fund at the Boston Foundation provided the funding for a study addressing the problem of determining the extent to which Massachusetts immigrants are having trouble in the labor market because they lack the proper occupational credentials. The study has two complementary components: a qualitative study with interviews of immigrants, presented as an accompanying report (Vega-Martinez et al., 2025) and a quantitative study, which is based on a survey whose methods and results are presented in this report.

Community Engaged/Serving

Part of the UMass Boston Community-Engaged Teaching, Research, and Service Series. //scholarworks.umb.edu/engage

Recommended Citation

Granberry, Phillip; Tristán, Florita Coto; Torres-Ardila, Fabián; Vega-Martinez, Jonathan; and Pache de Athayde, Maria M., "Limitations due to Occupational Credentialing for Immigrants in Massachusetts: Survey Report" (2025). Gastón Institute Publications. 332.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/gaston_pubs/332