Indianapolis Career Council drives career readiness for Purdue students
The Indianapolis Career Council partnered with the Professional Practice Ambassadors to host a student networking event in Indianapolis prior to the Fall 2025 Engineering, Science and Tech Connect Fair. All 90 student attendees participated in the career fair the next day.
Purdue is ensuring students in Indianapolis get a head start on their professional path through the newly established Indianapolis Career Council.
Formed this past year and headed by Patrick Francis, director of career relations for Indianapolis, the council aligns key units and academic departments — including the Center for Career Opportunities, Office of Professional Practice, Office of Experiential Education, The Data Mine, Office of Student and Community Engagement, University Residences, and academic unit representatives — to create a coordinated approach to early career readiness.
Extending the efforts of Purdue’s Career Leadership Council in West Lafayette, the Indianapolis Career Council has a clear mission: foster a connected, outcomes-driven ecosystem where students may learn about and explore pathways to successful careers in the most in-demand industries including key partners in Indianapolis.
“We all have our own initiatives, but we are centering around this idea of connecting our students to industry and professional development opportunities right here in the city,” Francis said. “Companies benefit from access to emerging talent, while students gain meaningful, hands-on experience and networking opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom.”
Fostering industry connections
Dozens of faculty and staff from Indianapolis and West Lafayette convened at a career relations retreat last July to develop the council’s mission, vision and strategies. Formed from staff based in Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Career Council regularly collaborates to share resources and design programming that supports students across all majors in Indianapolis. This includes career fairs, networking events and industry partnerships with employers seeking to tap into Purdue’s growing talent pipeline.
Representatives and recruiters from many companies headquartered in central Indiana, such as Eli Lilly and Company, Cummins, Allison Transmission and Rolls-Royce, have engaged with Purdue students in Indianapolis, both in the classroom and in interview settings over the past academic year. Key industry partnerships like these provide numerous internship, co-op, research and career opportunities, spanning sectors like biosciences, tech innovation, pharmaceuticals and engineering, synchronizing student preparation with employer needs. This approach creates job-ready graduates who are embedded in the local economy and equipped to thrive in tomorrow’s workforce, a central pillar of Purdue’s strategy for Indianapolis.
Kyle Richmann, senior manager of talent acquisition for Wabash — a key industry partner — plans to continue to build upon the existing, mutually beneficial partnership with Purdue students and career support staff in Indianapolis.
“Purdue’s commitment to advancing education aligns with our mission to enable success through breakthrough ideas and solutions, and Wabash recognizes the importance of educational growth and its impact on the transportation, logistics and distribution industries,” Richmann said. “As Wabash looks to expand our footprint in Indianapolis, this will allow us to be that much closer to students and provide a collaborative partnership between academic and real-world business environments.”
Guaranteed Work Experience
One of the council’s notable initiatives is the Guaranteed Work Experience (GWE) program, which is offered to students in Indianapolis in the College of Engineering and College of Science admitted fall 2024 or 2025. GWE provides an opt-in pathway where Purdue students commit to career readiness milestones and reach certain benchmarks, which will ideally lead to early work experiences — including stacking multiple opportunities prior to graduation. Students who opt in and complete all criteria but do not receive an offer will be guaranteed an experience by their college after their junior year, ensuring they graduate with hands-on industry exposure.
“The goal is to get our students out to events so they can connect with industry, learn from Purdue alums and create a strong classroom-to-career connection,” Francis said. “Building those early relationships with employers is essential in laying the foundation for successful careers after they graduate.”
Aliza Soyster, a sophomore biomedical engineering student in Indianapolis, opted in to the GWE program last fall. Building upon a first-semester engineering course she took, Soyster feels that the program is helping her gain valuable networking experience and find internships, with constant support along the way.
“I feel a little bit of a push to do more from being in the program,” Soyster said. “The GWE has helped me feel more confident in applying to things — and knowing that there are some people in my corner has helped. It’s not just because I’m from Indianapolis — the (Purdue) community here is so tight-knit and close.”
She credits Francis with providing information leading her to participate in the GWE and council member Katrin Danielson, assistant director, co-op program and student development in the Office of Professional Practice, with guiding her through a successful application process for Global Engineering Alliance for Research and Education, a premier international study abroad program for engineering students.
GWE experiences like Soyster’s range from short-term projects and summer internships to part-time roles during the academic year and full-time co-ops. These opportunities not only build technical skills but also help students develop professional networks, while building lasting relationships and confidence before fully entering the job market.
Purdue’s commitment to experiential learning and career preparedness extends across disciplines and beyond the GWE. The Data Mine, a data science learning community for all majors, prepares students for a data-driven world while building connections between teams of students, mentors and industry partners. Undergraduate students seeking an authentic and extended research experience and partnership engagement may explore the Vertically Integrated Projects program. EPICS combines engineering with project-based learning to aid local and global community organizations. For technology and business majors, Purdue Polytechnic Institute integrates practicum and project-based requirements into its degree programs, while the Mitch Daniels School of Business offers company-sponsored capstone projects that also simulate real-world challenges.
Indy Amplified, a six-week program supported by the Indianapolis Career Council in 2026, is helping connect the city to students’ professional development through experiences in the summer. Additional resources specific to Indianapolis, such as the Trailblazer Fund, empower students in Indianapolis to launch entrepreneurial experiences and leadership initiatives through student organizations.
These efforts demonstrate Purdue’s vision for Indianapolis as a place where academic excellence and career readiness converge, preparing students for purpose-driven and impactful futures.