Wisconsin technical college grads landing jobs
Salaries tick up from previous year
MADISON – If last year’s outcomes are any indication - this year’s technical college graduates have promising futures. Despite Wisconsin’s current economic challenges, a survey of 2011 technical college graduates revealed 88 percent of graduates were employed within six months of graduation and most of them (71 percent) were employed directly in their field of study.
According to the annual Graduate Follow-up Report the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) is releasing, 86 percent of respondents indicate they are working in Wisconsin.
"This is a bright spot in Wisconsin’s economy," said Dan Clancy, president of the WTCS. "Our graduates are employed within Wisconsin’s borders and are contributing to the economic recovery in our state. The results show that the curriculum aligns with industry skill needs and that employers value our graduates’ abilities."
The technical colleges attribute this success in large part to advisory committees established in each program area. The committees are comprised of local business and industry representatives in their respective fields. They advise the colleges on various matters based on first-hand knowledge of supply and demand in addition to skills desired for today’s job market.
Median starting salaries have increased slightly over the previous year. The median salary for all new graduates is $31,822 ($31,198 the year prior) with those earning associate degrees receiving a median salary of $36,033 ($35,616 for 2010 grads). The fields with the highest median starting salaries are utilities engineering technology, technical studies-journey worker, fire science, biomedical electronics, automated manufacturing systems technician and applied instrumentation and process control automation. Several program areas have median starting salaries of $60,000 or higher.
Females represent 63 percent of the 2011 WTCS graduates and minorities represent 11 percent. Graduates in the 20-24 year age group represent 30 percent of the total and 36 percent are over 30 years of age.
The Wisconsin Technical College System includes 16 technical college districts throughout Wisconsin, offering more than 300 programs awarding two-year associate degrees, one and two-year technical diplomas and short-term technical diplomas. In addition, the System is the major provider of customized training and technical assistance to Wisconsin’s business and industry community. More than half of all adults in Wisconsin have accessed the technical colleges for education and training.
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