Update (4/25/08): The York study is being covered again here. This article also mentions that EMSI’s model is being studied by the Learning and Skills Council to potentially become part of the standard evaluation of UK institutions.

Update 2 (4/28): Another article can be found here.

A recent socioeconomic impact (SEIM) report by Economic Modeling Specialists has shown that York College is vital to the regional economy in the counties of York and North Yorkshire, England. The study is one of the first that EMSI has conducted in the United Kingdom since the adaptation of its highly successful North American impact model that has been applied to over 500 community and technical colleges on this side of the Atlantic.

An excerpt from the article in the York Press:

It is estimated that the present -day York and North Yorkshire workforce embodies approximately 58,600 qualifications gained by past and present York College learners.

These added skills promote business productivity and increase regional income. The report adds that once current learners become active in the workforce they contribute millions to the local economy by promoting business output, raising consumer spending and increase property income in the UK.

Principal Alison Birkinshaw said: “This report confirms how important York College is to both the local and regional economy and how successful the college is in addressing the needs of local and regional businesses. Learners enjoy higher earnings after receiving education from York College, thereby expanding the economic base and reducing the burden on taxpayers.”

Economic Modeling Specialists Inc. (EMSI) is pleased to announce a new partnership with global publishing company John Wiley & Sons to support Wiley Pathways, a new line of texts from the Wiley Higher Education division. The partnership will allow both companies to better serve community, technical, and career colleges and their students with high-quality, flexible curricula aligned to high-demand jobs.

“This is a great example of how EMSI’s integrated data can help both public- and private-sector organizations make informed, strategic decisions,” says EMSI CEO Andrew Crapuchettes. “We’re very pleased to be working with the Wiley Pathways team, and we believe our partnership will bring great value to their customers and ours.”

Under the agreement, EMSI will produce co-branded regional reports focusing on the labor market demand for occupations linked to Wiley Pathways curricula, which cover four major fields: Business, Emergency Management, Health Care Management, and Information Technology. The reports will inform colleges about opportunities for developing, expanding, or supporting related programs. Students will benefit by getting a detailed picture of the local, state, and national job market for the knowledge and skills they can acquire in those programs.