Purdue University partners with Ascend Indiana to help students with career and internship searches while providing one-on-one support

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University has formed a partnership with Ascend Indiana to connect more students to good and promising career opportunities in Indiana.

Through the Ascend Network, the initiative’s online job matching platform, Purdue University 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, this partnership provides Indiana’s leading employers with a unique platform for hiring Purdue students. 

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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 740 employers are currently using the network, and more than 50% of candidates on the network are from underrepresented backgrounds.

“The quality of life that one experiences while living and working in Indiana is very impressive. This fact underscores the strategic nature of our partnership with Ascend Indiana,” said Tim Luzader, who recently retired as executive director of Purdue’s Center for Career Opportunities. “The Ascend Network engages a broad array of Indiana employers that may not otherwise be connecting to universities to acquire talent. These innovative employers offer exciting career opportunities in an affordable area where graduates can thrive and make a difference.”

The network adds a robust resource to the university’s efforts to help students find jobs and internships that align with their career goals and provides a lens into the variety of companies and opportunities here in the Hoosier state.

“Connecting college students to available internships and jobs here in Indiana is essential to helping employers find the talent they need,” said Brad Rhorer, president and CEO of Ascend Indiana. “Making sure that students are equipped with the necessary tools and one-on-one support to jump-start their internship and job searches is the foundation of the partnership between Ascend and Purdue University.” 

The Ascend Network is a resource offered through the Center for Career Opportunities at no cost to students through their myCCO account. 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 Center for Career Opportunities will continue to provide individualized support and educational resources in partnership with Ascend. Students can find out more information at https://ascendindiana.com/.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research institution demonstrating excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue across modalities and locations, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the new Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business, and Purdue Computes — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.

About Ascend Indiana

An initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, Ascend Indiana is committed to making Indiana a place of economic opportunity for all. Ascend connects job seekers to good and promising career opportunities through an innovative job matching platform, the Ascend Network; catalyzes partnerships and provides consulting services to meet high-demand workforce needs through Ascend Services; and conducts research through Ascend Insights to enable systems-level change that positively impacts individuals throughout the state. To learn more, visit ascendindiana.com. 

Media contacts: Derek Schultz, dcschultz@purdue.edu

Raquel Bahamonde, Ascend Indiana/CICP, rbahamonde@cicpindiana.com, 317-319-6875