Legislative Overview

An investment in community and technical colleges now will help speed our state’s economic recovery, creating opportunities for our citizens and a better future for Washington.

While Edmonds Community College and our sister community and technical colleges look closely at where we can trim millions of dollars from our budgets, we maintain that, rather than making cuts, we actually need additional funds to help speed Washington’s economic recovery. Share the facts.

By the Numbers — The Social and Economic Value of Community Colleges

17,000 laid-off Washington state workers turned to community and technical colleges for retraining during the state’s last economic downturn in 2002-03. Within a few months of completing college, 80 percent of these workers had returned to employment and nearly half of those were hired into jobs that paid higher wages than the jobs they lost. In winter 2009, we are serving 300 students in our worker-retraining program, 61 percent more than a year ago.

46 percent of all students at two-year colleges enroll for job training.

41 percent of jobs in the workforce require the skills and education that community colleges provide.

Edmonds CC — Making an Impact

A recent economic impact study of Edmonds CC showed that:

• Edmonds CC annually contributes nearly $717.3 million to labor and non-labor regional income, more than 5 percent of the economic growth in a typical year.
• Taxpayers recover all investments in Edmonds CC within 5.8 years and see a real money “book” return of 25 percent on their annual investments.
• Students saw an 18.1 percent annual return on their investment of time and money.
• Edmonds CC provides a benefit/cost ratio of 31 (every dollar of state or local tax money invested in Edmonds CC today returns a cumulative $31 over the next 30 years).

Edmonds CC — Pulling Our Own Weight

37 percent of the Edmonds CC operating budget is generated outside the state allotment due in large part to outstanding grant procurement and international student recruitment.

Edmonds CC — Educating Our Workforce:

• Edmonds CC started an Allied Health Sciences program in 2002 and graduated 413 students in 10 programs in 2008.
• Edmonds CC is expanding its curriculum to add green collar job training such as a new Restoration Horticulture degree.