Workforce Preparation and Employment Outcomes

Workforce Preparation and Employment Outcomes

Employment Outcomes: Kentucky

Employment rates for Kentucky Community and Technical College students between four and six years after program completion

What Is Measured?

Employment rates in third quarter of 2008

Who Is Counted?

Students who entered the Kentucky Community and Technical College System in 2002-03 and 2003-04

What It Tells Us

Male and female students who entered the Kentucky Community and Technical College System between 2002 and 2004 both had employment rates of 94 percent by the third quarter of 2008.

Why It's Important

Labor force participation is consistently associated with higher levels of education, even among those who do not complete a degree or certificate. While a number of states report employment outcomes for students who have enrolled in a community college or completed a community college degree or certificate, the way in which these outcomes are reported and the populations on which outcome measures are based vary widely, making it difficult to compare these measures across states.

About the Data
Data exclude students who attended Kentucky Community and Technical Colleges while in correctional institutions, were less than 17 years old or more than 60 years old at enrollment, and those who transferred to a four-year college. Data come from Kentucky's Unemployment Insurance wage records and include data from the first quarter of 2000 through the third quarter of 2008. The employment rate was calculated by subtracting the unemployment rate for each gender from 100 percent. It does not appear in the original data source.
Data Source

Jepsen, C., Troske K., & Coomes, P. (2009). The labor-market returns to community college degrees, diplomas, and certificates. University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series. Lexington, KY: University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research.