Employment of PVCC Graduates from
AAS, CERT, and CSC Programs
2006-07 through 2010-11
Introduction
The Virginia Community College System has an agreement and process with the Virginia Employment
Commission which allows the VCCS to obtain employment information for individuals previously
enrolled in VCCS colleges. The availability of this data makes it possible for PVCC to calculate the
percentage of graduates who are employed within a given period of time following graduation. For a
detailed explanation of the VEC data, including advantages and limitations, please refer to the
information provided by the VCCS which is included at the end of this report.
Methodology
The VEC datasets for years 2007 through 2011 were queried against a dataset containing PVCC graduates
of AAS, CERT, and CSC programs (excluding the General Education Certificate) for academic years
2006-07 through 2010-11. Records were coded to identify the first record of employment for each
graduate within two full quarters following graduation. In the event that a graduate had two or more
employer records in the same quarter, the record with the highest associated wages was used except in
cases where it was clear from the employer name that a different record was more closely related to a
graduate’s PVCC program of study. The number of employed graduates, by program, and other
descriptive data, was calculated from this dataset.
Highlights
 82% of AAS, CERT, and CSC graduates (669 graduates in the past five years) were employed within
the first two full quarters following graduation.
 Of those employed, all but one were employed in Virginia.
 Of those employed, 82% were employed by Virginia-based organizations.
 The Commonwealth of Virginia is the largest employer of PVCC’s graduates: 22% are employed by
the Commonwealth.
 Martha Jefferson Hospital is the second largest, employing 11% of our graduates.
 Other large employers include County of Albemarle, Augusta Health Care, Region Ten Community
Services, County of Henrico, Westminster Canturbury, Inc, and City of Charlottesville.
Results by Program
The table on the following page shows the number and percentage of graduates, by program, employed
within two full quarters of graduating and includes average quarterly wages. Employment and wage data
are not shown for programs with fewer than 10 graduates and/or 10 graduates employed. These data are
included in the totals.
PVCC IRPIE 8/1/2012
1
Total Graduates
Academic Years
2006-07 through
2010-11
# Employed
Within Six Months
of Graduating
Percent
Employed
Average
Quarterly
Wages
Accounting
25
19
76%
$5,957
Comp Aided Drafting & Design
17
15
88%
$5,727
Computer Applications
7
Electronics and Computer Tech
10
10
100%
$10,509
Electronics Tech - Spec in PC
5
Emergency Medical Services
18
15
83%
$7,531
Degree
AAS
Program
Information Systems Technology
6
Management
44
39
89%
$6,367
Networking
15
13
87%
$9,396
Nursing
344
291
85%
$7,660
Police Science
42
36
86%
$6,934
Radiography
7
Tech Studies- Electricity
2
469
84%
$7,388
Web Technology
AAS Total
CERT
Administrative Support Tech
4
Practical Nursing
9
Surgical Technology
72
54
75%
$5,879
90
63
70%
$5,769
CERT Total
CSC
6
556
Administrative Support Technology
9
Biotechnology
5
Business and Office
8
Comp/Aided Drafting & Design
13
Computer and Networking Support
12
Criminal Justice
19
22
116%
$5,261
Early Childhood Development
20
16
80%
$4,686
Graphic Design
10
Horticulture
8
Human Services
48
43
90%
$5,292
16
73%
$4,749
Patient Admissions Coordination
2
Pc Upgrading & Repair
22
Web Technologies
10
CSC Total
215
157
73%
$7,922
Grand Total
861
689
80%
$6,757
*VEC data does not provide details about hours worked or the date on which an individual began employment in a
quarter. Therefore, it is important to note that the wages presented here do not necessarily represent full-time
employment for all individuals or employment over a full quarter. In addition, the VEC data does not supply
detailed information about the job an individual does for a particular employer, so it is not possible to know whether
wages represent employment in the job for which a graduate trained at PVCC.
PVCC IRPIE 8/1/2012
2
Employers:
Employers who have employed two or more graduates of the last five graduating classes are listed below,
in order of the number of graduates employed:
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
147
BB & T CORP
2
MARTHA JEFFERSON HOSPITAL
75
BEST BUY STORES LP
2
COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE
15
BEVERLY HEALTH & REHABILI INC
2
AUGUSTA HEALTH CARE INC
14
CARILION MEDICAL CENTER
2
REGION TEN COMMUNITY SERV
13
CFA INSTITUTE
2
COUNTY OF HENRICO, VIRGINIA
8
CHARLOTSVILE GAS ASSOC PC
2
WESTMINSTER CANTERBURY INC
8
CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY SCH BOAR
2
CENTRA HEALTH
7
DIST 19 MENT HLTH & RET SVC
2
CITY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE
7
FARMINGTON COUNTRY CLUB
2
COUNTY OF CHESTERFIELD
7
FAUQUIER HOSPITAL
2
MOUNTAINVIEW NURSING HOME INC
7
FRIENDSHIP CAMP INC
2
WINCHESTER REGIONAL HEALTH INC
7
HCA HEALTH SERVICE OF VA INC
2
COMMONWEALTH OF VA
6
HELIX COMPUTER SYSTEMS
2
NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORP
6
JEFFERSON ELDER CARE
2
WAL MART ASSOCIATES INC
6
MIKRO SYSTEMS INC
2
MEDICAL FACILITIES OF AME
5
MORRISON MANAGEMENT SPECI INC
2
HARRISONBURG ROCKINHAM CO
4
ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD
2
HEALTHSOUTH REHABILITATIO CORP
4
PETSMART
2
LEWIS GALE MEDICAL CENTER
4
PIEDMONT AIRLINES INC
2
MCV HOSPITALS AUTHORITY
4
PIEDMONT Y M C A INC
2
ALAN SECREST & ASSOC LLC
3
PRISON HEALTH SERVICES INC
2
ANCHOR HEALTHCARE PLC
3
PSYCHIATRIC SOLUTIONS OF INC
2
BELK STORES OF VIRGINIA L
3
RAHE2 LLC
2
BOARS HEAD ENTERPRISES NEW
3
ROCKINGHAM MEMORIAL HOSPI
2
COUNTY OF FLUVANNA
3
SENTARA HEALTHCARE
2
CULPEPER MEMORIAL HOSPITA
3
SOUTHERN AIR INC
2
DVA RENAL HEALTHCARE INC
3
STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOB
2
GE FANUC AUTOMATION MFG INC
3
STENDER CORPORATION
2
LOWES HOME CENTERS INC
3
STN AUG CO FIRST AID RESC INC
2
ORANGE COUNTY NURSING HOME
3
TARGET CORP
2
REGION TEN COMMUNITY SERVICES
3
THE ARC OF THE PIEDMONT
2
ADAMS & GARTH INC
2
THE VILLAGE OF GORDON HOU INC
2
ADECCO USA INC
2
UNIV OF VA HEALTHSOUTH LL
2
ALBEMARLE CO SERVICE AUTHORITY
2
WHOLE FOODS MARKET GROUP INC
2
ASSOCIATION UNIVERSITY INC
2
PVCC IRPIE 8/1/2012
3
The VCCS has provided the following information about the VEC Database:
All states are required to collect and maintain data on employees from every non-federal wage-paying employer,
within their boundaries, covered by that state’s unemployment compensation laws. In Virginia, this requirement is
satisfied by the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) collecting and maintaining wage records used to
determine employment and earnings of individuals covered by the Virginia unemployment compensation laws.
These records populate the VEC Unemployment Insurance (UI) database. Employers submit UI quarterly reports of
employee earnings to the VEC. For each employee, an employer reports social security number (SSN) and total
earnings received during the quarter. Additionally, employer information is also provided, such as the unique
employer federal identification number, business name, mailing address, and industry affiliation code.
Since each state maintains its own UI database, based on reports from employers within its state boundaries, the
VEC UI database consists primarily of data on individuals employed in the state of Virginia. Data on individuals
employed in neighboring states (MD, NJ, OH, PA, WV, and DC) are also available from the VEC as part of a
cooperative agreement with these states. These data, however, are limited to the extent that they include no
information about the employers. In addition, the employer mailing addresses for individuals employed in Virginia
may or may not be in Virginia, if the employer also operates in other states or countries (e.g., Canada).
Currently, the VCCS provides the VEC with a file containing the SSN for every student who has enrolled in one of
the 23 Virginia Community Colleges within the previous five years. The VEC then cross-references this file of
SSNs with the VEC UI database and the databases from the neighboring states. All records with matching SSNs
from the previous 20 quarters are selected and provided to the VCCS, where the data are mapped to SAS datasets.
(Data record format Information is provided below.) This process repeats four times per year resulting in quarterly
updates to the VEC UI data.
Advantages of UI Data
The VEC UI database offers several advantages over other sources of employment and wage information. For
example, The UI data is collected and maintained on most individuals employed throughout Virginia. Since the data
is linked to SSN, an individual’s employment can be tracked despite changes in name, address, and employment
anywhere in Virginia and in the neighboring states indicated above. The UI database potentially makes available
longitudinal data on most students once they leave school, regardless of whether or not they graduated. The
availability of the UI data requires no school staff or resources to collect or maintain.
Limitations of UI Data
Although the UI database has its advantages, it also has its limitations which must be considered when using the
data. For example, The UI database essentially includes only employees covered by unemployment insurance.
 Federal employees, farm workers, military, incarcerated, and self-employed are excluded
 Limited, if any, data on individuals employed in states other than Virginia
 Only employee quarterly wages and industry of employment are reported, not other employee data that might be
of interest such as date of hire, occupation, hourly wages, or time worked.
 The Industry Codes categorize the business of the employer, but does not provide any indication of the role of the
employee in the business.
 The employer addresses do not necessarily provide the Virginia location of an individual’s employment, but
rather a mailing address for the employer which could be in another state or even another country.
 The data are often not available for at least six months after initial collection. Students who do not provide their
SSN cannot be linked to the UI data.
PVCC IRPIE 8/1/2012
4