Workforce Preparation and Employment Outcomes
Employment Outcomes: Tennessee
What Is Measured?
Percentage of 2009-10 academic year completers employed by June 2011
Who Is Counted?
2009-10 Tennessee Community College completers
What It Tells Us
Some 89 percent of 2009-10 Tennessee Community College program completers were employed by June of 2011.
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
Program completers: includes those completing technical certificates and associate degrees. Those in university parallel, professional studies, and academic certificate programs may not be included. Those pursuing further education, with medical conditions preventing employment in field of study, with family or home responsibilities, in military service, or in volunteer/religious service also may not be included.
Employment rate: calculated by dividing the number of students employed in fields related to their training by the number of program completers.
Employment data come from institutional surveys of graduates who received technical certificates or associate degrees. Graduates from spring, summer, and fall terms of a calendar year are surveyed in June of the following year.
Data Source
Tennessee Higher Education Commission. (2010). 2010–2015 Performance Funding Quality Assurance.