Missouri’s Best High Demand, High Wage Two Year Career & Technical Programs Patricia Riely, M.Ed. Director of Career and Placement Services Moberly Area Community College

Questions to consider about recommending post-secondary education to our students  Student’s interests, skills, aptitude, values, hopes and dreams  The high cost of the “college experience”  Career ladder and two year versus four year programs of study  Labor market realities  Recognizing our own biases

What does the research say?  A study published in 2013 revealed that students who started postsecondary education at a community colleges had a better chance of completing their degrees than students who began at that institution. They completed Bachelors, Masters and PhD programs at a higher rate than students who began at a four year institution.  “The comparison of the eight-year completion rate of students who began at a two-year institution and transferred to a four-year institution to that of students who began at a four-year institution revealed a higher completion rate for transfer students.” Source: Baccalaureate Attainment: A National View of the Postsecondary Outcomes of Students Who Transfer from Two-Year to Four-Year Institutions, National Student Clearinghouse Research Center

What were the recommendations to community colleges? Recommendations from this study to community colleges included:  Encouraging students to transfer immediately after earning their associate degrees  Developing articulation agreements with four year schools  Competent advising so that students take the best sequence of courses at the community college

Surprising findings  Average annual costs for tuition, fees, books, room and board:  Private colleges and universities:$39,518  Public colleges and universities:$17,860  Community colleges: $3,131 Source: Christina Couch,

How well do we promote the A+ program?  There is no evidence of any significant difference in earnings over a lifetime between students who start at a four year institution and those who transfer from a two year program to complete a four year degree.  The current labor market shows a 60% increase in hiring those with two year degrees. Source: The Wall Street Journal

What types of jobs are most in demand in Missouri that do not require a four year degree? Skilled trades  Bricklayers and stone masons, carpenters, medical equipment repairers, operating engineers, painters, plumbers & pipefitters,  Commercial drivers  Electrical and electronics engineering technicians  Environmental Engineering Technicians  Industrial machinery mechanics (Mechatronics)  Mechanics – automotive, communications equipment, heating/cooling systems, utility technicians  Machinists  Surveying and mapping technicians Source:

What types of jobs are most in demand? Computer Information Technology  Audio-visual Specialists  Computer Networking Technicians  Computer User Support Specialists  Information Security Analysts  Sound engineering technicians Source:

What types of jobs are most in demand? Allied Health  Certified Nursing Assistants  Dental Hygienists  Emergency Medical Technicians  Licensed Practical Nurses  Medical Imaging Technology/MRI Technologists, Radiologic Technologists, Sonographers, Ultrasound Technicians  Medical Laboratory Technicians  Occupational Therapy Assistants  Physical Therapy Assistants  Registered Nurses  Respiratory Therapists  Surgical TechnologistsSource:

What types of jobs are most in demand? Business Administration  Administrative Services Managers  Bill and Account Collectors  Bookkeeping and Accounting Clerks  Credit Counselors  Loan Officers  Office Managers  Paralegals  Tax preparers Source:

What types of jobs are most in demand? Services  Addictions Counselors  Adult and Career Education Teachers  Dispatchers  Preschool and Kindergarten Teachers  Skin care specialists  Transportation Security Screeners  Veterinary Technologists and Technicians Source: September 2015

Comparing careers that require varied levels of postsecondary education  At entry level, approximately 85% of jobs that require an associate degree level of education pay the same or more than those that require a bachelor’s degree.  However, those with higher degrees will earn more cumulatively over a lifetime.  Wages vary significantly depending on the type of degree.  Students who choose STEM careers have higher earnings and less competition for jobs.

Which two year programs offer the highest wages and are most in demand? Job title/ProgramMedian wage% growthAnnual openings Information Security Analysts/ AAS Computer Information Technology $77,91028%653 Medical Sonographer/ AAS Medical Imaging Technology $67, %556 Registered Nurse/ Associate Degree in Nursing $56,67012%21,004 Occupational Therapy Assistant/ AAS in Occupational Therapy Assistant $56, %428 Physical Therapy Assistant AAS in Physical Therapy Assistant $51,34024%863 Engineering Technician/ AAS in Industrial Technology $43,480 - $62,9402.9%1,014

What about nationally?  The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts these five jobs not requiring a four year degree will have the most increased growth and offer highest salaries between now and 2018: Job titleYears experienceMedian annual salary % above average Associate degree holder pay Radiation Therapist 2 – 4 10 or more $59,800 $75,400 83% 65% Ultrasound Technician 2 – 4 10 or more $53,500 $68,800 64% 51% Wind Turbine Technician 2 – 4 10 or more $47,600 $52,700 46% 15% Railroad Conductor 2 – 4 10 or more $45,000 $79,900 38% 75% HVAC Controls Technician 2 – 4 10 or more $42,200 $56,600 29% 24%

 An analysis of the economic returns to college since the 1970s demonstrates that the benefits of both a bachelor’s degree and an associate’s degree still tend to outweigh the costs, with both degrees earning a return of about 15 percent. Source: current issues IN ECONOMICS AND FINANCE Volume 20, Number 3 ❖ 2014 ❖ the past decade.

Internet Resources  2015 – 2016 PayScale College Salary Report  Highest paying associate degrees by salary potential back/associate?page=10  Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Current Issues in Economics and Finance  Volume 20, Number 3,  Nine High Paying Jobs You can Get With an Associate Degree paying-jobs-associates-degree/article.aspx