MATC GRADUATES' ECONOMIC IMPACT STAYS IN STATE, DISTRICT
A new report by Madison Area Technical College indicates more than 96% of workers who graduated from an MATC program in the past academic year are employed in-state, generating more economic activity for their communities.
The findings are included in the just-released 2006 MATC Graduate Employment Report. The report is based on responses from more than 2,000 former students – two-thirds of the graduating class of 2006 – who provided employment information six months after completing their studies.
"We have the opposite of a 'brain drain.' The taxpayers' investment in MATC is repaid right here at home. Our graduates stay close to their communities to make a living, earning higher wages than they would without their MATC degrees," says Dr. Bettsey Barhorst, president of MATC.
Of the 2005-06 MATC graduates who have entered the labor market:
- Only 3.4% accepted jobs outside of Wisconsin. The other 96.6% are employed in Wisconsin, including 81% who work in the MATC District.
- 93.2% are currently employed, of which 70.2% are in a position related to their field of study; 29% are employed in a different field.
- The average annual salary reported by two-year associate degree graduates working in a related field is $32,730. Average earnings of about $40,000 or more are reported by graduates of MATC’s Associate Degree Nursing (RN), Dental Hygienist, Industrial Maintenance, IT Web Analyst/Programmer and Respiratory Care Programs.
- 97.2% are satisfied or very satisfied with their MATC education.
"Students who graduate with two-year associate degrees will earn hundreds of thousands of dollars more during their working years than those with only a high school diploma. Their higher earning power gives a tremendous economic boost to the communities where MATC graduates live and work," Barhorst says.
Wisconsin workers with associate degrees earn average wages of $16.19 per hour compared to $12.98 for those with only a high school diploma, according to the State of Working Wisconsin 2006 report by the Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS). One in 10 Wisconsin workers holds an occupational associate degree – twice the national share.
The 2006 MATC Graduate Employment Report can be viewed online at matcmadison.edu. From the A-Z Index, select Graduate Employment Report.
MATC is one of the largest of the Wisconsin Technical College System’s 16 colleges. It provides “real world smart” education through a comprehensive curriculum of technical, liberal arts and science, adult basic education and life enrichment studies and activities, as well as customized employee training. MATC offers associate degrees, vocational diplomas and certificates, and non-degree courses in more than 140 programs of study. The college serves parts of 12 counties located in southcentral Wisconsin and offers instruction through five campuses and numerous community locations throughout the district.
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Last
Modified:
April 23, 2007
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