Workforce program awards by post-completion value
The number and percentage of students completing workforce/CTE programs in three categories: (1) high value—programs that result in graduates earning, on average, above the cost-of-living adjusted living wage in the service area in the first year after completion; (2) low value—programs that result in graduates earning, on average, approximately the prevailing wage for low-skill work in the region; and (3) medium value—programs that result in graduates earning, on average, more than low-value programs but less than the high-wage program threshold in the year after graduation. See Classifying Community College Programs by Post-Completion Success in Transfer and Workforce for additional guidance.
Research shows that, nationally, less than half of graduates with a community college associate degree and certificate (and not a bachelor’s degree) earn more than $35,000 a year two years after graduation1. Colleges can use the program-level award by post-completion value metric to assess whether students are graduating from programs that are likely to result in jobs that pay at least a living wage. The metric should be used in conjunction with data on transfer and bachelor’s degree success as well as median earnings among graduates one, five, and 10 years after graduation.
While college leaders will find value in collecting data on all students, consistently disaggregating data whenever possible can reveal outcome disparities. This information is essential for colleges developing strong reform plans to improve and close disparities in student success.
- Race/ethnicity
- Gender
- Family/Personal Income
- Age
- Parent/Dependent status
- Attendance intensity
- First-generation status
- Veteran status
Students may identify with one or many of the above identities. College leaders should consider how these different identities intersect and pay close attention to these relationships and how they may influence each student’s experience.