Ascend Indiana, the talent and workforce development initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), formed partnerships with 14 Indiana colleges and universities in 2023 to connect more students to good and promising career opportunities in Indiana.
Through the Ascend Network, the initiative’s online job matching platform, students will be able to connect with Indiana jobs and internships that match their skill sets and interests and will receive increased one-on-one career guidance and job search support. In addition, these partnerships provide Indiana’s leading employers with a unique platform for hiring students.
The 14 collaborator agreements are with the following Indiana colleges and universities:
- Ball State University (Muncie)
- Butler University (Indianapolis)
- Calumet College (Hammond)
- Earlham College (Richmond)
- Goshen College (Goshen)
- Grace College (Winona Lake)
- Hanover College (Hanover)
- Holy Cross College (Notre Dame)
- Indiana State University (Terre Haute)
- Indiana Wesleyan University (Marion)
- Indiana Wesleyan University National and Global (Marion)
- Manchester University (North Manchester and Fort Wayne)
- University of Evansville (Evansville)
- University of Saint Francis (Fort Wayne)
“It is critical for Indiana to retain more college students with relevant skills and abilities to meet employer demand for talent,” said Jason Kloth, president and CEO of Ascend Indiana. “Partnering with even more educational institutions across the state is essential in supporting a student’s career journey by equipping them with the necessary tools to get their career started in Indiana through an internship or early-in-career job. The collaborations also help to increase the talent pipeline to help employers connect to the Indiana talent they need.”
Since its inception in 2017, Ascend has connected more than 4,700 Hoosiers with jobs, internships and training opportunities in all sectors across the state. More than 735 employers are currently using the Network and more than 50% of the candidates on the Network are from underrepresented backgrounds. Ascend has also had more than 13,700 one-on-one meetings between candidates and career mentors.
The Ascend Network is a resource offered to students at no cost. Through the Network, students receive personalized job and internship recommendations that lead to meaningful careers in Indiana. During the job search, application and interview process, the Career Services Departments at the colleges and universities, will continue to provide individualized support and educational resources, in partnership with Ascend. Students can find out more information here: https://ascendindiana.com/.
