Anoka-Ramsey Community College makes a positive $72 million difference and adds 1,033 jobs to the communities served by its campuses in Coon Rapids and Cambridge, according to an Economic Impact Study by economists Anton, Lubov and Associates, Inc. The study was conducted at the request of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. Its results were complete October 2003 and reveal the economic impact of spending by the college and its students, as well as the impact on the labor market.

"It's a real pleasure to serve and make a positive impact on the northern suburban and East Central Minnesotan communities," says Patrick Johns, President of Anoka-Ramsey Community College. "Through educational excellence, our two campuses continue to strive to develop articulate, critical and creative thinkers who are responsible, productive citizens."

The Economic Impact Study concluded that spending by the college or its students is not a one-time event. It states, a portion of the initial spending by one party becomes income to someone else in the local economy who then spends a portion of that income. So the total spending is a multiple of the initial spending. The impact figures produced were the sum of the college's direct spending and spending by students times the multiplier of 2.420. This is the same multiplier used to estimate the spending impact by colleges and universities and professional schools across the Twin Cities area.

The impact focused on three economic indicators:

1. College direct spending,
2. Student spending, and
3. Labor market impact.

College Direct Spending
Anoka-Ramsey Community College injected a total $13,441,974 through spending in 2002. This included an adjusted salary total (reduced by 60 percent to account for income taxes, benefits, personal savings, and spending outside the area) as well as purchased services, repairs, maintenance, miscellaneous expenses, and supplies.

Student Spending
Students were surveyed in May 2003 about their spending on meals, shopping in Cambridge and the Twin Cites, rent and living arrangements. The surveys included questions about jobs, cars, education, and career objectives and whether or not they planned to stay in the area once their studies were completed.

Full- and part-time students spending totaled $18,742,029 with a large share of the spending going toward automobile expenses.

Labor Market Impact
The presence of Anoka-Ramsey Community College makes an important impact on the local labor market. The college brings jobs to the community directly through its employment of faculty and staff, and indirectly, as its spending and the spending of its students support additional jobs in the community. Based on the multiplier, the Anton, Lubov and Associates study states that Anoka-Ramsey Community College brings 1,033 jobs to the community - 219 due to the Cambridge Campus and 814 due to the Coon Rapids Campus.

The College also affects the labor market through students working part-time while attending school. According to the study, 5,770 Anoka-Ramsey Community College students work in the local labor force in addition to attending classes - primarily in part-time jobs.

The most important way that Anoka-Ramsey Community College contributes to the labor market is through providing a pool of trained graduates whose higher skill level enhances the productivity of the local workforce and profitability of local companies. More than half of the students surveyed indicated that they planned to stay in the area where they were attending college: 65.6 percent of the Cambridge Campus students planned to stay in Cambridge; 62.7 percent of the Coon Rapids Campus students planned to stay in the Twin Cities.

Role of Continuing Education and Customized Training
Anoka-Ramsey Community College also contributes to the productivity of the areas' labor force through partnerships with employers. The College's Continuing Education and Customized Training division partnered with 43 area employers and served 10,299 people in 2003. This includes training programs designed for specific industries and employers as well as career-focused programs to equip graduates with the training necessary for specific industries.

In addition, Anoka-Ramsey Community College encouraged area residents to revitalize their careers through a Career ReFocus event, Nov. 22, on its Coon Rapids Campus. This event gathered industry and job-market speakers, college faculty and staff, and prospective employees together to exchange ideas and information.

It's clear that Anoka-Ramey Community College impacts the Twin Cities North suburban and East Central Minnesotan communities through a more qualified and more productive workforce. For more information about Anoka-Ramsey Community College, visit www.AnokaRamsey.edu or call 763-427-2600.

Maps: Cambridge Campus , Coon Rapids Campus