A Study of the Economic Benefits Generated by A-B Tech

About the study:

A study of the socioeconomic benefits of A-B Tech was conducted by CCBenefits, a Moscow, Idaho, company that has developed a nationally-recognized economic model for community colleges across the country.

CCBenefits is a partnership of two senior economists. Their initial study was funded by the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) and was unveiled at the 2001 ACCT national convention. Since that time, their economic impact model has been field tested on hundreds of community colleges across the country. The study uses elaborate census information and detailed information about A-B Tech to create specific economic and socioeconomic data. It is based on a return-on-investment concept widely used in economic and business studies. It is designed to answer the question, "How much has the community's investment in A-B Tech paid off?"

The study tracks four major categories of data:

The study’s challenge was to measure not only the economic impact of the college itself, but to also measure the impact of the students who take classes at the college and then enter the workforce where they become part of the regional economic foundation. The study also takes into account the costs that are avoided such as medical, crime, and unemployment as the education level of the workforce and region increases.

Study Results