Our spring Commencement is coming up fast. It’s a special time of the year for our students and their families – filled with excitement, pride, and achievement.

And while graduation is a time to celebrate all your hard work and accomplishments, it can also be a little scary. Stepping into the so-called “real world” can be tough, especially with our uncertain economy. However, there is encouraging news for our graduates.

Graduate Employee Report

The recently updated Madison Area Technical College Graduate Report shows more than 87 percent of our graduates are employed – many in their related field of study – despite a downturn in the economy.

For the academic year ending May 2010, Madison College had 3,802 graduates. That’s an 18 percent increase compared to the previous year. Graduates listed “getting a job” and “further education” as their top reasons for attending Madison College.

More than 96 percent of graduates say they are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their training. Area employers are also very pleased – 98 percent approve of the College’s educational or technical training.

Well-Paying Jobs

Here’s some more encouraging news. One-half of all Wisconsin technical college degree graduates are earning more than $36,000 annually within 6 months of graduating. Five years later, graduates said their salaries increased by more than 50 percent!

Despite our uncertain economy, many Wisconsin employers are scrambling to find skilled workers.

The Department of Workforce Development says there are more than 26,000 skilled jobs available. These skilled workers are being trained at technical colleges. More than 400,000 people enroll at technical colleges each year, making it the state’s largest higher education system.

Community Colleges are a Great Value

Community colleges are a great way to save money and get a good college education. A recent article in The New York Times praised community colleges for having small class sizes, flexible scheduling, excellent instructors and “bargain” tuition.

President Obama says community colleges are integral parts of our educational society, especially when we listen to the needs of the communities they reside in and the workers who need to upgrade their skills to compete in today’s ever-changing marketplace.

Good Luck

Congratulations and good luck to all our graduates. Make us proud.