Purdue, IU partner with Ascend Indiana to keep graduates working instate
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University and Indiana University are partnering with Ascend Indiana to encourage more Hoosier graduates to stay instate for their careers.
Through the Ascend Network of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, the initiative's online job matching platform, Purdue and IU will be able to more effectively join students with Indiana career opportunities based on their skill sets and interests.
In addition to connecting Hoosiers with job opportunities, this partnership will allow for one-on-one career guidance and job search support.
Since it debuted in 2017, Ascend has connected more that 2,200 Indiana college students and graduates with Indiana-based jobs and internships. According to a release, more than one-third of those 2,200 students are from Purdue and IU.
“This new partnership augments the portfolio of resources for students and alumni looking for post-collegiate careers right here in Indiana,” Steve Abel, Purdue’s associate provost for engagement, said in the release. “Purdue has long been a positive contributor to the workforce pipeline in multiple sectors throughout the state. Employers continually say Purdue grads are among the most employable in the nation.”
Bill Stephan, IU's vice president for government relations and economic engagement also shared his thoughts on this partnership.
“IU and Purdue both recognize the major opportunity we have to drive ‘brain gain’ in our state and build a healthy, innovative and internationally competitive economy,” Stephan said in the release. "We know that as many as 80% of graduates at our regional campuses around the state stay in their home regions after they complete their education. These alumni continue to make vital contributions to the economic growth and vitality of their communities.
"We are committed to bringing more talented graduates back to the state and to ensuring that we keep Indiana’s talent pipeline full of employees equipped with the skills that our state’s leading employers need and demand.”
Both Purdue and IU have already shown their abilities to contribute to the "brain gain" in the state with their engagement in Indiana's Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI). Each of the schools have submitted proposals for projects to "enhance regional prosperity across the state."
Future plans for both schools to further participate in "brain gain" initiatives include TMap, an alumni recruiting organization based in Indianapolis.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue, IU partner with Ascend Indiana to keep graduates working instate
