Workforce Preparation and Employment Outcomes
Employment Outcomes: Oregon
What Is Measured?
Employment rates one quarter after exit
Who Is Counted?
Oregon Community College students who exited between January and June 2010
What It Tells Us
Of the Oregon Community College students who exited between January and June 2010, some 58 percent were employed within one quarter after their exit. Rates of employment were higher for those who exited in the first quarter of 2010 than for those who exited in the second quarter (64 percent vs. 56 percent, respectively).
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
Exiters: participants who received services and exited the program. Does not necessarily indicate attainment of a degree, certificate, or diploma.
The employment rate is calculated by dividing the number of exiters employed the quarter of their exit or the first quarter after exit by the total number of exiters for the period covered.
Employment data are obtained from Oregon Unemployment Insurance wage records and data submitted to the Performance Reporting Information System (PRISM) by the Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development. Out-of-state wage records are supplied by the Wage Record Interchange System (WRIS). Only those who indicate employment as a goal and provided with informed consent are included. Estimates were calculated using data from PRISM, but do not appear in the original source.