<![CDATA[Geography education increasingly recognizes that people learn about place, access, and opportunity outside schools, yet municipal programs for the poor are rarely examined as sites of such learning. This study examines a 2023 skills-training program for productive-age poor residents (18–64 years) in Blitar City, Indonesia, as a form of non-formal, place-based learning, asking how it was implemented, what supported or constrained it, and how its design shaped who took part and benefited. A qualitative descriptive design combined semi-structured interviews with six purposively selected informants (two Social Service officials, one instructor, and three trainees), observation at training venues, and program documents, analyzed with Miles and Huberman's interactive model. Four streams (sewing, cosmetology, ginger processing, and pastry production) were delivered by partner institutions with adequate facilities and experienced instructors, and trainees reported that the practice-dominant format, about 80% practice, made the skills easier to learn and retain. The program's reach was narrower than its instruction. Recruitment depended on neighborhood leaders (RT/RW) and PKH facilitators, some registrants withdrew shortly before training began, some streams did not match participants' interests, and the all-female cohort was directed toward home-based trades. These patterns suggest that the value of such programs as place-based learning depends less on teaching quality than on whether outreach reaches marginal households and whether skills are connected to local markets. The study argues for broader socialization channels, spatially informed targeting, interest-aligned streams, attention to market reasoning in the curriculum, and sustained post-training monitoring.]]>
