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The Report Card A monthly newsletter that gives
you the facts... |
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Alton Sierra attended Green River right after high school. He always knew that he wanted to work on cars, and in 1988 he graduated with a degree in Automotive Technology. With the help of his instructor, Karl Hoffman, Alton found his first job at Regan Auto Repair. A few years later he moved on to a Ford dealership and after that a few other places. "If I told you every place I've worked the list would be too long." Alton was doing what he loved to do, but something wasn't right. He did not like all the politics. His need for independence led Alton to open his own shop in Puyallup, Alton's Auto Repair. "I'm a mechanic, not a politician!" he said, " I don't play games - if you want your car fixed it gets fixed!" Alton appreciated the honest instruction he received at Green River, so much so, that when he was looking for an apprentice, he called Karl for a recommendation. Jeff Dempster, a former Boeing employee, was pleased to go to work for Alton. "I love it! This is what I have always wanted to do. My boss is great - he is honest and fair and that makes all the difference." Jeff plans to graduate with an AAS in June 2004. Karl is pleased to see Green River graduates hiring other Green River graduates. That says a lot about the program.
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Welcome to The Report Card, a monthly newsletter containing information on various topics related to institutional effectiveness. This issue is on Employment after Green River.
Background:
Green River offers over thirty professional/technical programs in the areas of business, industrial technology, trades and health sciences. Each year, an average of 1,000 new students enroll in a professional/technical program for the purpose of work related training. Typically, students enrolled in professional/technical programs account for 32% of Green River’s total annual enrollment.
Green River assesses the success of its professional/technical students seven to nine months after they leave the college through the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges’ Data Linking for Outcomes Assessment (DLOA) tracking system. Each year, college records are matched with Employment Security unemployment insurance records in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, and Montana to evaluate job placement and wages of students exiting professional/technical programs in the Washington community college system. Students who are self-employed or employed in states outside the Northwest are not included in the DLOA tracking system.
Many students leave Green River before obtaining a degree or certificate because employment prospects are good. Students who have finished all program core courses equaling 45 credits or more with a 2.0 GPA are considered successful and prepared for work by the SBCTC. For the purpose of this report, these students have been combined with graduates and are labeled "completers."
Highlights:
Between academic years 1999-00 and 2001-02, more than 3,500 students enrolled in professional/technical programs at Green River. Of these students, more than half (55%) completed the program (completers) and 45% left the program with less than 45 credits earned (leavers).
During this three-year period, the percentage of Green River students who completed the program increased significantly from 47% in 1999-00 to 62% in 2001-02, whereas the percentage system-wide stayed fairly constant (See figure 1).
- Of the Green River students considered completers, approximately 76% obtained a degree or certificate. An additional 22% completed uniquely designed programs for Worker Retraining or WorkFirst.
Overall, nearly 84% of the completers were employed seven to nine months after leaving Green River, compared to 80% of the students who left the program with less than 45 credits. The employment rates for completers and leavers system-wide were somewhat lower (82% and 76% respectively).
- Over the three-year time period, the
employment rates decreased somewhat for all completers and leavers. (See
figure 2). These employment rates were reflective of the economic
conditions in Washington. The annual average
unemployment rate increased from 4.7% in 1999 to 7.3% in 2002 (U.S.
Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics).
- About 69% of the completers were working full-time (30 hours or more per week) after leaving Green River.
Male students were employed at a slightly higher rate than female students over the three-year time period. Eighty-four percent of the male students who completed the program where employed seven to nine months after leaving Green River compared to 83% of the female students.
- Overall, the employment rate for male students decreased over the three year period (8% for completers and 3% for leavers) whereas the employment rate for female students fluctuated. (See figure 3).
Although the median hourly wage fluctuated for Green River students over the three-year period, it remained slightly higher than the system-wide median. In 2001-02, Green River completers earned $15.93 per hour compared to $12.92 system-wide. (See figure 4).
- The median hourly wage for completers
working full-time was substantially higher than for those working
part-time ($16.68 compared to $12.39).
- The median hourly wage for female students was considerably lower than those for male students (See figure 5). Overall, female completers earned $14.00 compared to $17.08 for males. Female completers working full-time earned $14.95 compared to $17.92 for males working full-time.
Overall, all students completing their professional/technical program at Green River during the three year period increased their hourly earnings by 9% compared to 6% for those who left the program. (See figure 6).
- Over this same time period, female students who completed their program increased their hourly earnings significantly compared to male students. The median hourly gain for female completers was $2.25 compared to $0.11 for males. (See figure 7).
