Grossmont-Cuyamaca Career Education Programs

Add Nearly $600 Million Annually to San Diego County Economy

Grossmont and Cuyamaca college students in career technical education programs.

El Cajon, CA - A new analysis by a leading labor market analytics firm has found that the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District's career education and workforce training programs contributed just under $600 million annually to the San Diego County economy, an amount that supports over 7,100 jobs in the region.

The study used data from the 2023-24 fiscal year and focused solely on Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges. CTE covers a broad range of workforce training and job-focused disciplines, from technical fields such as telemetry and cardiovascular technology to career pathways such as administration of justice, culinary arts, and water resources management.

“Career and Technical Education creates a significant positive impact on our local economy,” stated Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Chancellor Lynn Ceresino Neault. “Our robust workforce programs are so successful, in part, because they are created with input from industry partners, specifically so that our colleges can offer the emerging training that students need to secure high-wage in-demand careers.”

The study was conducted by Lightcast, a global leader in labor market analytics and workforce intelligence. It drew on a wide range of sources, including the District's FY 2023-24 academic and financial reports; industry and employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau; Lightcast's proprietary economic impact models; and research on education and social behavior.

The District served nearly 15,000 CTE students in FY 2023-24. According to the study, the average CTE associate degree graduate from Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges will earn $10,000 more each year than a person working in California with a high school diploma or equivalent. For every $1 students invest in their education, they will receive $6.10 in higher earnings over their careers.

Those gains also benefit taxpayers. As CTE graduates earn more, they pay more in taxes, and so do the businesses that benefit from their increased productivity. Over the working lives of the District's FY 2023-24 CTE students, state and local governments will collect a present value of $145.3 million in added tax revenue.

The study broke down the District's CTE economic impact as follows:

·       $425.5 million: Alumni impact. CTE alumni have joined the county workforce with greater knowledge and skills. As a result, their earnings have risen, and so has the productivity of the businesses that employ them. This added income supports 3,985 jobs.

·       $84.3 million: Student spending. Nearly 20% of CTE students come from outside the county, and some in-county students would have left the region if the District's CTE programs did not exist. The day-to-day living expenses of these relocated and retained students supported 1,105 jobs in San Diego County.

·       $66.5 million: Operations spending. This impact reflects initial payroll of $45.8 million for 1,730 full- and part-time CTE faculty and staff, nearly all of whom live in San Diego County. In addition to the District’s spending on CTE facilities, supplies, professional services, and other foods and services. This added income supports 1,813 jobs in the region.

·       $22.9 million: Construction spending. This is the impact of the District's capital projects to maintain and expand CTE facilities to meet growing educational demand. In FY 2023-24, these capital projects generated $22.9 million in added income to the county economy.

About the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District

The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District (the District) includes Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges, which offer hundreds of degree and certificate programs, including Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Advanced/Basic Certificates. The District is the largest provider of higher education and job training in East County, and is a top transfer pathway to San Diego State University. The colleges lead the way in developing educational programs, classes, and services that meet the needs of the community of learners, and prepare students to meet changing community and workforce needs, while advancing social justice and economic mobility. Learn more at www.gcccd.edu.

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