Community College boosts local economies. This is according to a new report issued by the Illinois Community College Board.  Illinois has 48 community college and a new study shows that Illinois has the third largest community college system in the nation and is increasing value and access to higher education for all Illinoisans. 

Illinois Community Colleges account for $3.5 billion in economic output and more than 43,000 jobs. Governor JB Pritzker says that community college are a core building block to ensure the workforce is well equipped for jobs in the future. He continued by stressing that community colleges are a microcosm of what Illinois is doing to being committed to creating and supporting good paying jobs. 

The report that has been done evaluates all Illinois community colleges to meet the needs of business and industry, equity, student outcomes, students’ return on investment, and the overall economic impact to local economies and job growth. The report examines statewide trends including the pandemic, employment, population, and other factors. 

The study found that more than 84% of students who earn a certificate or associate degree are employed in solid paying career jobs within a year of graduation. As far as economic impacts, Illinois community colleges directly employed 33,000 staff with a total payroll of $1.3 billion in 2020. The toal economic output of Illinois community college in 2020 is 43,316 jobs and 3.5 billion dollars towards the Illinois economy. 

To review the full study, please visit https://bit.ly/iccbEIS.