Workforce

Jobs are everywhere, but good jobs, the kind with higher pay and benefits, require degrees and certifications—and the more the better. Studies show that 66% of people need additional skills or training to get the job they want, and 57% missed out on jobs in the past two years because they lacked the needed skills.

FACT: Workers with Associate degrees earn a median of $2 million dollars more than people with a high school diploma over their lifetimes.

It is part of the mission of America’s community colleges to provide workforce training for local employers and to meet other community education needs such as learning English and getting a GED. If you don’t have a high school diploma, you will need a GED to get into credit programs. They also provide very short skill-based programs like heavy equipment operator and Phlebotomy as non-credit learning experiences to provide skills to help you land a job as quickly as possible.

FACT: Last year alone, over 4 million students took advantage of community college non-credit programs. 

Choose carefully when selecting a major and program of study because when it comes to your annual salary, your choice of major matters more than your education level. Community college is a respected brand to employers so don’t worry too much about where you go to school.

FACT: Institutional brand adds value, but not nearly as much as most people believe.