This document summarizes findings from an analysis of participants in Connecticut community college occupational programs conducted by the Department of Labor (DOL). The community colleges provided the DOL with files containing the social security numbers of all occupational program participants for an academic year. DOL then matched these files with employment and wage records to develop student profiles for the years 1998-1999 and 1999-2000. During the 1999-2000 academic year there were a total of 23,813 participants in credit occupational programs (20,965 of these students were continuing and 2,848 were graduates). Of the graduates, 82% were employed upon completion of their program. Analysis related to the earnings of graduates revealed that students who completed occupational degree or certificate programs generated increased wages in the amount of $26,585,593.84 with an average annual individual wage increase of $11,444.51. This average increase in annual wages does not reflect potential wage gains of liberal arts and general studies graduates, non-credit program completers, or those who study a series of skill courses without ever completing a program. According to these authors, these findings clearly provide evidence that Connecticut Community College education contributes to the social and economic well being of the state and its citizenry. (RC)