Study highlights employment growth for two-year Associate's Degree earners from community colleges

A new study released by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce shows that the concentration of well-paying, family-sustaining jobs - with a median salary of $55,000 - is growing for employees who hold less than a four-year Bachelor of Arts degree.

The 2017 research report by the Georgetown Center, “Good Jobs that Pay without a BA,” indicates an 83 percent growth of these good jobs held by two-year associate’s degree earners since 1991. The highest gains are in the trades, healthcare, skilled services such as information technology, financial and business services industries.

Many of Northeast Iowa Community College’s (NICC) most successful students and graduates have earned two-year degrees in these fields and secured well-paying local employment careers that offer stability and opportunities for advancement. NICC students and recent graduates of two-year degrees illustrate these workforce trends, particularly in healthcare.

“Northeast Iowa Community College made me realize that you can obtain the quality education you need from a community college, not only a large university. So many of my friends from high school wanted to go to a four-year college and ended up not liking their experience and transferring somewhere else. NICC is a very good school, without the big price tag,” said McKayla Stock, who completed a two-year Associate Degree of Nursing at NICC in fall 2016. She is a licensed Registered Nurse and works in the in-demand healthcare field for a local hospital.

For students in northeast Iowa who are uncertain of their education and career plans, there is still time to apply for admission to Northeast Iowa Community College and register for fall semester classes. NICC campuses and centers are open to enroll students from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Visit the NICC Waukon Center today or call to make an appointment 563-568-3060. To apply online visit www.nicc.edu/apply.