In a few years, college in Indiana could look vastly different. 

Grappling with a threat of an enrollment cliff caused by declining birth rates, colleges are changing to not only reinforce their value to younger students but also to appeal to older learners.

University of Indianapolis is among private schools in Indianapolis that are adding more certificate and non-degree programs to expand options for students, boost enrollment and support the state’s goals of getting college students ready to work.

In particular, UIndy plans to focus on upskilling and reskilling for adults by adding credential and certificate programs. The school recently announced its plans to revamp its MBA program as a host of stackable certificates, adding to the school’s mission to become a haven for adult learners. The updated MBA will go into effect this fall.

[Senior Scholars, an Ivy Tech program, proves age doesn’t define the want to learn.]

The university also plans to invest in virtual learning, in part through its online hub, the Sease Institute. UIndy also announced recently that some Ivy Tech students will be guaranteed admission to the school, with the potential for $16,000 in scholarship money.

“If you haven’t finished a degree, we are the place where you finish your degree,” Tanuja Singh, president of UIndy, said in a panel discussion at the school last week. “If you want to change your career, you want to charge your career, you just want to come and learn a little bit about AI, this is the place you will be coming to.”

The panel — which featured business and higher education leaders — was held at a corporate and community breakfast the day before Singh’s inauguration Friday, April 5. The room was full of business leaders eager to discuss college students’ futures, but there were few, if any, students in attendance. 

A recent report from the Strada Education Foundation found that students who completed at least one internship in college have a better chance at avoiding underemployment as opposed to their peers who didn’t. As state officials continue to grapple with how to boost Indiana’s lagging college-going and attainment rates, education and business leaders also seek to get more students paid work opportunities outside the classroom.

Melina Kennedy, CEO of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, said employers tell her they’re having a difficult time finding employees who not only have the applicable certification or degree, but are ready to work.

“Work based learning opportunities are really critical to help young people really understand what it’s like to work and to develop what we sometimes call soft skills,” Kennedy said in last week’s panel, “how to problem solve, how to be nimble.” 

The Swiss role

Indiana higher education leaders are drawing inspiration for work-based learning from a far-off place: Switzerland. 

The European country’s vocational education and apprenticeship program is a guide for schools and universities that want to boost college-going rates. In Switzerland, students have the option to work one to two days a week while in their version of high school. 

The Indiana State Department of Education recently brought forth a proposal that would drastically change high school diplomas in Indiana. Under the suggested guidelines, students would have more opportunities for students to complete college programs, internships and apprenticeships before graduating high school. 

Officials hope that creating more opportunities for students while they’re in school will create more potential pathways for students to pursue not just college, but the career of their choice after graduating from high school. 

However, earning potential is still far higher for students who obtain some kind of postsecondary education. According to 2021 federal data, people between the ages of 25-34 with bachelor’s degrees earned a median annual income of $61,600. People in that same group with just a high school diploma earned a median salary of $39,700. 

“We still have to make sure that every student knows that she or he has the possibility of going to college,” said Chris Lowery, the state’s Commissioner for Higher Education. “So whatever this might look like after high school, the facts of the matter are that students are going to have to have something beyond a high school diploma to flourish in our economy.”

Battling brain drain

Some Indianapolis colleges are already working toward getting students work experience before they graduate. Marian University based its two-year program, St. Joseph’s College, on the Swiss apprenticeship model. Students attend classes a few days a week and work the other days at an Indianapolis company, where they’re paid and get college credit. 

[The hopes of exposing students to more college or career paths in high school.]

But adding in work experience is not just about helping students go to college. Officials hope that by implementing more work-based learning, college graduates will want to stay in state.

A 2022 report from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce found that nearly 40% of Indiana’s college graduates will move out of the state within a year of graduation, and more than half will leave within five years.

If students can be guaranteed high-paying jobs within the state, officials reason they’re less likely to move to another city after graduating.

Internships are relatively common for college students. But as part of making college and career pipelines crystal clear, UIndy plans to ensure that all students — from math majors to history majors — get an internship or work opportunity during their time in school, Singh said. 

For students, that means potentially being able to avoid the headache that comes with the senior year job search.  

But even more so, it’s a boon for companies, who get to handpick and train students to fill the ever-increasing employment needs of the state.

“From an employer’s perspective, one of the reasons you want to do the apprenticeship and the workplace learning is because you want to train your future workforce and get those workers into the system,” said Vanessa Green Sinders, president and CEO of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact higher ed reporter Claire Rafford at claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org or follow her on social media @clairerafford.