SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL:

Statistics show the surest way for anyone to land a job in their chosen field is to finish college and earn a degree or certificate, and that’s exactly what students at LBW Community College are promising to do in the recently held “Commit to Complete” event.

LBWCC President Dr. Herb Riedel said completing a college credential is important for the future of all LBWCC students.

“It is vitally important to the students’ future to complete a college credential. Even if students plan to transfer, they should complete their associate’s degree first,” he said.

“Then, in case they are faced with a sudden, unexpected need to enter the workforce, they will have a better chance to find employment than those without a credential.”

There is a 17.8 percent return on investment for every dollar spent on education, according to a report issued by the Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) with support from the American Association of Community Colleges.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics survey and Employment Projections program report that median annual earnings from jobs requiring an associate degree are more than $22,000 higher than those jobs requiring only a high school diploma. In addition, individuals with credentials are less likely to become unemployed than their co-workers who did not earn credentials.

Those are some of the reasons students gathered to sign a mass pledge to complete their associate degrees or certificates before leaving community college for transfer or to enter the job market, part of a national movement sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society (PTK).

At the recent event, hosted by the Alpha Beta Eta chapter of PTK, administrators, faculty and staff also signed the pledge, committing themselves to do whatever they can to facilitate completion of student credentials.

PTK members are serving as the student arm of the Community College Completion Challenge, a national education initiative.  Six years ago, leaders of six national organizations representing the nation’s 1,200 community colleges signed The Call to Action, a pledge to increase student completion rates by 50 percent over the next decade. PTK was the only student organization asked to participate and launched the Community College Completion Corps in response.