Elevate-ing Education
It wasn’t all that long ago that an education at a top-tier university like Illinois Institute of Technology alone would help its graduates stand out in the job market. Increasingly employers across all industries are looking for more: according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 91 percent of employers prefer job candidates with previous work experience.
To address this need, Illinois Tech has expanded its Elevate program, which will now provide its students with guaranteed hands-on experiences and individualized mentorship to help them achieve their goals and stand out in the job market.
Elevate promises that Illinois Tech students who participate in the program will add experiences—such as internships, research and study away opportunities, competitions, and more—to their resumes. This will begin even before students arrive on campus, for example, through virtual internships the university will facilitate during their high school years. Illinois Tech will also provide every student with a team of mentors who will help them chart their own personal academic and career plan. The end goal is to make students career-ready, and students will be offered additional master’s-level training and upskilling at Illinois Tech if they participated in the Elevate program but do not secure employment within six months of graduation.
