Kauaʻi Community College Measures Value of Local Career Credentials

Kauaʻi Community College began an applied research initiative on December 4, 2025 to measure the economic value of college credentials for residents of the Garden Isle. The project focuses on career and technical education pathways including carpentry, culinary arts, automotive technology and electrical technology, and will analyze employment outcomes and wage data to determine the return on investment for students who remain on island after graduation.

Officials framed the work as a practical tool for workforce planning. By quantifying local career opportunities and wage potential the college intends to inform program development, student counseling and partnerships with employers. The analysis is designed to show not only program completion rates but the extent to which credentials translate into durable careers that allow graduates to live and work on Kauaʻi.

The local implications are direct. Improved alignment between training and employer demand can reduce skill mismatches that leave positions vacant and graduates underemployed. For trades and service occupations targeted by the study, keeping more credentialed workers on island could stabilize wages for critical occupations and support local businesses that depend on reliable skilled labor. For students the study seeks to translate abstract credentialing outcomes into concrete information about likely earnings and career pathways on Kauaʻi.

From a policy perspective the research offers municipal and state leaders evidence to design incentives and support services that encourage workforce retention. Data on wage trajectories and employer needs can guide investments in expanded program capacity, paid apprenticeships and counseling resources that lower barriers to local employment. The college projects that clearer information on economic returns for credentials will help reduce graduate out migration, a persistent long term challenge for island economies.

This project places Kauaʻi Community College at the center of locally grounded economic planning. The expected outputs include wage and employment analyses that community leaders and employers can use to build partnerships, tailor training to local market needs, and strengthen the county tax base by keeping more credentialed residents contributing to the island economy.