Indiana has a global reputation for having premiere public and private colleges and universities, but it’s also known as a state that exports most of the talent that matriculates through those institutions. Lots of people throughout the state – from civic leaders to businesses – are trying to correct that trend and keep the talented individuals our higher education institutions nurture so well. 

I just spent 10 weeks with 110 of some of the best and brightest college students our country has to offer in TechPoint’s Xtern program. These students applied to spend their summer in Indiana interning in tech and business roles with Indiana companies while also attending Xtern events designed to bring them together, outside of their internships.  

Of the 2024 Xtern class, 80 percent of them were already in Indiana attending an Indiana educational institution. However, 54 percent of the class left their home states or countries to be here. A majority of the cohort members had only really experienced Indiana on their campuses and in the cities surrounding them prior to their Xtern summer.  

I had a chance to see first-hand how they came to see Indiana in a whole new light through the exposure we gave them. And I came to better appreciate how showcasing the state can make a profound difference in shaping a person’s impression of a place. 

The 2024 Xtern class included incredibly bright students from 34 universities focused on beginning their careers in technology or business roles. 24 percent of the class entered the program not inclined to stick around the Hoosier state once they graduated. Only 27 percent reported having a positive impression of the availability of tech careers in Indiana before starting their internships.  

After completing Xtern, 79 percent had changed their minds and said they would apply for a full-time role with an Indiana company after graduation. Their impression of the tech industry and availability of tech careers in Indiana improved 62 percent after completing the program. Nearly 90 percent of interns said they were impressed with the Indiana tech ecosystem after their Xtern experience. 

What moved that needle?   

Meaningful internship experiences with intentional mentoring opportunities.  

Above all else, our Xterns are concerned with landing their first full-time role after college and making a livable wage. Of those who said they planned to apply to a full-time role in Indiana, 56 percent said that the No. 1 factor influencing that decision was the availability of future career opportunities in tech. More than 50 percent said their No. 1 factor was take-home pay and cost of living.  

Indiana companies can make a huge impact on a student’s perception of Indiana and their future career opportunities through their own internship programs.  

Our most successful employers this summer, no matter how small the company was, were committed to treating their interns like part of the team and giving them meaningful projects to complete that had real impact on their company’s success. That Hoosier hospitality, reflected through workplace mentoring, had a big impact. Xterns who reported having meaningful work and feeling like part of the team were 10 percent more likely to report planning to apply to full-time roles in Indiana after graduation.  

Belongingness and building a network.  

To see yourself in Indiana tech, you have to know there’s someone else like you in Indiana tech. We focused on fostering peer networks among the Xterns themselves as well as connecting them professionally with program alumni and leaders in the tech community throughout the summer.  

“As a second-generation immigrant coming from a family with zero connections in the technology industry, the Xtern program was so much more than an internship for me. It was the link that connected me to a massive network of tech professionals and companies in the Indianapolis area that I had no idea existed.” – Leanne Alsatie, Xtern Class of 2024 

For an out of state student or even a Hoosier from a rural community, imagine the pull between finding a job in your home community or moving to accept a job from an Indiana company as two sides of a scale. Only when your network finally eclipses the one you already have in your home community (that side of the scale tips) are you going to consider leaving and moving somewhere new. Your network is how you discover new jobs, seek career advice and find folks to be your internal referrals. 

Without opportunities to grow their network, college grads are not going to stay in Indiana and grow our tech economy.  

It was a joy this summer to help support young talent in securing internship experiences that will change their lives and to connect them to networks that will support them throughout their careers in Indiana.  

If you’re a student looking for a way to determine what comes after you toss that mortarboard into the air, consider being part of the Xtern Class of 2025. Applications are open now. Go here to apply: https://techpoint.org/xtern-students/ . 

And if you’re an Indiana tech company looking to grow – or begin – your own talent pipeline, there’s no better way to start that process. Go here to learn more or sign up, and don’t hesitate to reach out with questions: https://techpoint.org/xtern-employers/  

Taylor Dooley is TechPoint’s Talent Program Senior Manager.