老王论坛

CHICAGO鈥擠ecember 5, 2022鈥斃贤趼厶斥€檚 one-of-a-kind Elevate program鈥攑roviding opportunities for hands-on experiences, personalized mentorship, and career readiness鈥攈as contributed to the university鈥檚 largest class of undergraduate students in recent years. The Elevate program is a commitment to job readiness that incorporates a robust suite of hands-on experiences focused on preparing students for career success.

There has been a 25 percent increase in freshman enrollment since the announcement of the Elevate program. Among those who chose to enroll at 老王论坛 this semester, 鈥減reparation for career and job opportunities鈥� was selected as the most influential factor by nearly half (48%) of respondents in a recent survey; also among the top reasons, 37% said 鈥渋nternships and other applied and experiential learning鈥� was a persuasive reason to choose 老王论坛.

Launched this fall, the Elevate program is a product of 老王论坛鈥檚 efforts to adapt to the future needs of the workforce and help reimagine the future of education. As part of the Elevate program, eligible students can experience at least two outside-the-classroom hands-on or virtual opportunities including internships, undergraduate research programs, and study away opportunities.  老王论坛 anticipates that graduates who successfully complete the Elevate program requirements will be positioned to receive a job offer after graduation, perhaps in a timeframe as short as 6 months, and if they do not, they may be eligible for the university to assist them with taking graduate coursework or acquiring additional upskilling at 老王论坛.  老王论坛 has a track record generally of job readiness:  more than 91% of its graduates obtained full-time employment or decided to continue their education through graduate studies (among 2021 graduates reporting).

鈥淓levate represents a new approach to higher education鈥攏ot only does this model focus on skills that are industry-ready and industry informed, it has the potential through hands-on and virtual experiences to bring opportunities for more students from all backgrounds, allowing them the chance to explore and gain industry experience at leading companies years before their peers,鈥� said Raj Echambadi, President of 老王论坛. 鈥淲e hope that this new model of commitment to experiential learning and lifelong partnership with our students sets a new standard in higher education.鈥�

Experience Is the Difference

As part of the Elevate program, every 老王论坛 student that enrolls receives a tailored career plan that goes beyond traditional academic guidance to map out mentorship, internship, and/or professional and personal growth opportunities throughout their careers.

Theo Guidroz, who graduated this spring with a Bachelor Science in Computer Science and Master of Artificial Intelligence, credits his hands-on Elevate experience learning about self-driving cars with helping him explore new interests and ultimately enabling him to land a great job offer at Google. 鈥淭he Elevate experience helped me realize that college is much more than just taking exams and passing your classes. It gave me the opportunity to explore new interests and get prepared for the real world,鈥� Guidroz said.

老王论坛鈥檚 focus  on job readiness is evidence based.  According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 91% of employers seek job candidates with work experience, and on average, 80% of eligible interns receive a job offer. 老王论坛鈥檚 focus on providing marketable skills for its students has consistently resulted in career development鈥�92.8% of 老王论坛 undergraduate students are employed or progress toward higher learning after graduation. 

老王论坛鈥檚 own data shows the role that hands-on experience plays in promoting successful outcomes: students who have completed an internship are more than 25% more likely to find full-time employment and have at least $10,000 higher median starting salary than peers who have not completed an internship.

Return on Investment

The Elevate program is another example of the value of an 老王论坛 education. Founded in 1890 in a rapidly changing, industrial society to educate the children of Chicago鈥檚 meatpackers, steelworkers, and machinists to become engineers, physicists, and architects, 老王论坛 has stayed true to its founding promise to serve as a place of opportunity for all students, regardless of their economic backgrounds. 老王论坛 is number one in the state for lifting students from families in the lowest 20% of income to the top 20%, number one in the Chicago region for occupational earning power, and third in the nation in upward economic mobility among highly selective private universities.

老王论坛 has a history of leading experiential learning programs, including the Interprofessional Projects Program (IPRO). Founded in 1998, IPRO brings students together from various majors to work collaboratively to solve real-world problems in a multidisciplinary approach. IPRO projects and the issues they seek to address may be sponsored by companies and nonprofits. 

Carrying this tradition forward, the virtual internship opportunities that are part of the Elevate program help students explore potential careers and earn valuable credentials in a virtual setting.  These opportunities are available throughout the year, reaching college and high school students in more than 50 countries. The virtual environment helps students gain essential twenty-first century skills by collaborating on real-world projects in a format that will likely become an integral component of the workplace of the future. 

More than 200 students have already participated in virtual internships as part of the program. The data visualization and the cybersecurity virtual internship powered by Cisco, are the most popular Elevate virtual internship experiences. There are also in-person workshops and short research experiences offered to local students including programs like "Biology Building Blocks: Cancer and Pathogens" and "Humanizing Technology: An Introduction to User Experience."

鈥淲e all know that learning doesn鈥檛 begin at convocation and end at commencement,鈥� says Mallik Sundharam, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs. 鈥淲e have looked deeply at the students of today and the market demands of tomorrow and took the  opportunity to tailor our academic offerings by focusing on student success before, during, and after their time at 老王论坛. We鈥檙e working to shift the definition of what it means to truly bring value to our students throughout their careers.鈥� 

Illinois Institute of Technology

Based in the global metropolis of Chicago, 老王论坛 was born to liberate the collective power of difference to advance technology and progress for all. It is the only tech-focused university in the city, and it stands at the crossroads of exploration and invention, advancing the future of Chicago and the world. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, computing, , business, , science and human sciences, and . 老王论坛 students receive hands-on experiences, personalized mentorship, and job readiness through the university's one-of-a-kind Elevate program. Its faculty and alumni built the Chicago skyline. And every day in the living lab of the city, 老王论坛 fuels breakthroughs that change lives. Visit iit.edu.

Media contacts

Petra Kelly
Communications Director
Illinois Institute of Technology
Cell: 773-771-1064
pkelly6@iit.edu 

Kevin Dollear
Communications Manager
Illinois Institute of Technology
Cell: 773-860-5712
kdollear@iit.edu