On the Move - Louisiana Community and Technical College System

The secret...is that we
provide the most direct
route to a job that
will earn graduates a
middle-class wage.
P
eople are often surprised to learn that many
community college graduates earn a higher salary
on their first job after completing an associate’s
degree than do graduates of four-year colleges
and universities. In Louisiana, this fact applies
to the average graduate.
Others are amazed that Louisiana’s community
and technical colleges are the among the
nation’s fastest growing. Since the creation
of the Louisiana Community and Technical
System, almost all enrollment growth in public
higher education in the state has been at the
two-year colleges.
The answer to why graduates earn more money
and why students are flocking to two-year
colleges is simple – people want a job. More
specifically, they want a job that will allow them
to have a middle-class life-style.
The secret that over 110,000 Louisianan’s a year
have discovered is that the success of Louisiana’s
community and technical colleges provide the
most direct route to a job that will earn graduates
a middle-class wage.
Most middle-class jobs require more than a high
school diploma, but less than a four-year degree.
Yet many people believe that the bachelor’s
degree is the only route to a high wage job. In
today’s economy, to proclaim that earning a fouryear
degree is the only route to success is simply
not true.
12 | Moves Magazine