Des Moines Mayor Dave Kaplan presented a proclamation April 5 to Highline Community College (HCC) president Jack Birmingham celebrating the Des Moines school’s 50th anniversary.
The value of HCC students’ education and the economic contribution to King County is valued at over $250 million annually, Birmingham reported.
HCC the first community college in King County, is celebrating its’ golden anniversary during the 2011-2012 school year.
“Highline Community College makes an invaluable contribution to the economy of the city of Des Moines, and the Highline region, by increasing an individual’s lifetime earning capacity, improving employee job skills with education and training and providing resources for dislocated workers, the under-employed, and unemployed,” the proclamation read.
Birmingham noted, “The college is a positive force in economic development.”
There is an average 5.8 percent return on investment for Highline students, according to Birmingham. Not all schools enjoy that statistic, Birmingham said.
HCC has contributed to the economic development of Des Moines in many ways over the years. Most recently the Start Zone and Small Business Center have created or saved 76 jobs through eight new business start-ups in the last 12 months
HCC employs over 1,100 people, not including the 50-plus jobs that have been created through on-campus partnerships with Central Washington University, Heritage University and Kaplan College, according to Birmingham.
Through these partnerships the campus now offers a bachelor’s program and four master’s programs through Central Washington.
Start Zone and the Small Business Center are both programs that HCC offers to promote a financially self-sufficient community while growing the local economy through small business assistance, training and workshops, and mentoring.
The schools international program, serving more than 500 students this year, also contributes significantly to the Des Moines area economy. In past years when enrollment was 360 students the positive economic impact to the area was $7.7 million, according to Birmingham.
“I can’t begin to put into words how proud we, this community, Des Moines are to have the college here,” Councilman Bob Sheckler said.
City Council members said they would like to work with the school in the future and help with their needs. Mayor Kaplan said he would like to discuss how they can help each other and include their on-campus partnerships.
