The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) and the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) have introduced an innovative online tool, the Careers Start Here dashboard, aimed at providing valuable employment outcome data for graduates of Tennessee’s community and technical colleges. This initiative is set to offer in-depth insights into the post-college success of students, including their employment rates, average annual wages, and industries of employment within Tennessee.
The dashboard, which is a product of the collaborative efforts between TBR and TDLWD, tracks the employment outcomes of graduates over the past decade, allowing for a comprehensive analysis of their career progress. This partnership marks a significant step towards enhancing the alignment between academic programs and workforce needs, with TBR Chancellor Flora W. Tydings highlighting the dashboard’s potential to offer new insights into employment outcomes at both the program and college levels.
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TDLWD Commissioner Deniece Thomas emphasized the dashboard’s role as a critical resource for state government and organizations in planning future workforce needs. The tool enables comparisons of employment outcomes by college, major, or student characteristics, and contrasts the outcomes of graduates with those who enrolled but did not earn a credential, all while ensuring the privacy of individual data.
Key findings from the dashboard include:
– Five years post-college, employment rates in Tennessee stand at 76% for community college graduates and 73% for graduates of colleges of applied technology (TCATs), compared to 68% for those who did not complete their postsecondary education.
– Graduates enjoy significantly higher wages, with an average annual income of $45,265 five years after college, surpassing the earnings of non-graduates by over $14,000.
– A significant portion of employed graduates, nearly one-third, find employment in the healthcare sector.
The Careers Start Here dashboard, which will be updated quarterly with new data, is part of the larger TBR Data Dashboard available on the TBR website (https://www.tbr.edu/policy-strategy/data-and-research). This initiative underscores TBR’s commitment to refining these tools to better serve students, parents, and guidance counselors in making informed decisions about college and career pathways.
The College System of Tennessee, overseen by the Tennessee Board of Regents, is the largest public higher education system in the state, serving approximately 140,000 students across 13 community colleges, 24 colleges of applied technology, and the online TN eCampus.
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