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A new on-line database created by Indiana University will provide Hoosier companies of all sizes with a better opportunity to pursue graduates from state-assisted universities.
The database--Indiana First--uses emerging technology and the Internet to provide the state's public- and private-sector employers with a new level of easy access to graduates at IU Bloomington. Purdue University has also demonstrated its support by making IPFW an additional pilot campus for the project.
The Indiana First concept is a product of the IU Board of Aeons Task Force on Career Planning and Placement, a group comprised of career planning professionals, student leaders and faculty. The project represents a practical and useful response to concerns about the "brain drain" in Indiana.
Initially supported through a $15,000 seed grant from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (HEC) and created by IU, Indiana First is intended eventually to serve graduating seniors at every public university in the state. Each campus is dedicating staff time and energy to the design and development of the database itself as well as the support surrounding it.
"The best economic infrastructure our state can have is an educated workforce. As a public university, IU has a strong obligation to produce the well-educated graduates that are so vital to Indiana's continued economic growth, and I believe we do our job well," said IU President Myles Brand. "Unfortunately, many of our graduates choose to begin their careers outside Indiana. We expect this program will equip Indiana companies with a new level of access to our graduates and help reduce the 'brain drain' affecting the Hoosier state."
More than 1,000 graduating students from the Bloomington and Fort Wayne campuses have asked that their resumes be posted on the Indiana First site, with more candidates joining daily. Full access to these resumes is limited to employers representing a fit with Indiana First goals--employers doing business in the state and seeking to hire graduates for positions in Indiana.
Current partners in Indiana First include the two university campuses and their placement offices, plus the HEC.
"We are pleased to introduce this new resource for employers throughout the state and are proud of these unique partnerships that allow us to strengthen the connection between the state's colleges and universities and its economic success," said Stan Jones, HEC commissioner.
While IU and other state-supported universities already engage in other activities to help Indiana companies find prospective employees in all fields--including two major, state-wide job fairs--Indiana First represents a new use of technology for this purpose and a new option that is accessible to an even wider range of employers.
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"We also know that the medium- to small-sized firms in the state don't tend to recruit on college and university campuses," McNabb added. "It's hard for them to be competitive because they have less name recognition than the Fortune 500 firms. If you're a small firm that employs 50 people and you've got a job that pays $30,000 a year, your chances will seem slim if you're coming down and sitting next to Fortune 500 companies offering all kinds of inducements and having great name recognition as well."
Also, many companies have less time and fewer resources that can be applied to recruiting. Indiana First comes to employers at no cost and allows them to maximize recruiting resources.
Many IU students who are from Indiana, as well as others who choose to come to IU for college, express a desire to remain in the Hoosier state after graduation, but are less aware of available career options. "They may not realize that the opportunities existing here compare favorably with many larger companies elsewhere," McNabb said. "Hiring decisions are still left up to the companies, and students still have to respond positively to a query."
For more information, visit the program's Web site:
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