VINCENNES, Ind. - Purdue Polytechnic Vincennes will host an event titled Drum-ing Up Student Success at Purdue Polytechnic, on Saturday, Nov. 11, which will feature presentations by current and former students on their personal paths to success as well as a workshop on how to apply for federal internships and full-time employment via registration on USAJobs.

The event will take place at 12 Noon (EST), at the Automotive Technology Center, 1350 North Chestnut Street. Lunch will be served.

This event is being held in conjunction with Purdue’s celebration of its 150th anniversary. To honor Purdue’s “World’s Largest Drum,” the event will offer chicken drumsticks. Purdue Polytechnic Vincennes, VU College of Technology, and VU international students will be allowed four free drums to signify the maximum number of semesters needed to compete their baccalaureate degree at Purdue Polytechnic Vincennes through the 2+2 articulation agreement between Vincennes University and Purdue University.

Purdue Polytechnic Vincennes boasts a placement rate of more than 99 percent and a retention rate of more than 97 percent. Graduates have gone on to successful careers in their fields, graduate school, and non-profit organizations, and have enhanced the economic viability of the region, state, and nation.

Purdue Polytechnic Vincennes 2014 graduate Tyler McDonald will conduct a workshop for all undergraduate students on how to register for the US government’s “USAJobs” program and apply for internships and full-time positions, including at the naval base where he works in Southern Indiana.

“This is a program that was established by the federal government as a way to recruit active college students and provide a path for them that would lead to future employment at a military base or other federal facility,” stated McDonald. “The government normally posts the open internships every October.” All other campus constituencies are welcome to stop by and learn how to apply for these internships and jobs.

McDonald will also share his experiences as a student and in his original job search process when he landed a job at Graber Post Buildings, a manufacturer of wood-based construction material for residential and business customers. In an email from 2015, he said “I can pride myself in knowing that they value me as an asset to the company, and I will have many future opportunities to advance myself in the company. The Purdue Program at Vincennes University allowed me to stay close to home and still receive a diploma from a very reputable institution.”

In addition, the event will spotlight various Purdue Polytechnic Vincennes paths to success from the perspective of current and former students, including: Summer internship leading to a full-time offer; Landing a full-time job and taking distance classes concurrently for the last semester; Internship leading to full-time work; and Using your campus activities as a basis for hiring. Several students will share pictures of their experience during their 2018 Study Abroad in Europe.

VINCENNES UNIVERSITY - Indiana’s First College

VU is state-supported with campuses in Vincennes and Jasper and additional sites such as Indianapolis, Lebanon, and Gibson County. A leader in developing Early Colleges statewide, VU also offers instruction at military sites throughout the nation.

In addition to offering a wide range of associate degree and certificate programs, VU also offers bachelor’s degree programs in technology, homeland security, nursing, secondary education programs in mathematics and science, and special education/elementary education.

VU enrolls students from throughout Indiana, 35 other states, and 17 countries, who benefit from tuition and fees that are the lowest among Indiana campuses with residence halls. VU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Indiana’s first college, VU offers focused, quality education, and is one of only two colleges in the nation founded by a President of the United States. William Henry Harrison founded VU while serving as governor of the Indiana Territory. More information is available at www.vinu.edu.

PURDUE POLYTECHNIC VINCENNES

No Purdue Polytechnic campuses existed in the West-Central or South-West regions of the state until the Purdue Polytechnic Statewide system was expanded to the campus of Vincennes University in 2009, making Vincennes the ninth Purdue campus statewide. This program, like the others, was created to meet the unique workforce demands of the region.

Purdue Polytechnic Vincennes directly addresses the statewide skills gap, the oft-repeated concern of industry leaders who want but are unable to hire qualified employees for manufacturing positions. Since its inception, Purdue Polytechnic Vincennes has provided a world-class Purdue education in the Southern Wabash Valley, allowing students access to Purdue University services including Study Abroad opportunities and career services as well as course offerings/professors and Purdue’s Blackboard online course management system. Students graduating from Purdue Polytechnic Vincennes over the past seven years have contributed to the state’s economy, particularly in the West-Central and South-West regions of the state. Students have parlayed their Purdue bachelor’s degrees into graduate studies, positions in their fields, as well as employment in Indiana’s multinational automobile organizations, including Toyota, Honda, and Subaru.

For more information, contact interim location director Jim Tanoos, jtanoos@purdue.edu, 317-989-7726.

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LINK to VU Online Newsroom, click HERE

VICKIE PUFFER, Communications Coordinator & Online Newsroom Manager
812-888-4162 office, 812-887-4635 cell, VUNews@vinu.edu, vpuffer@vinu.edu
VINCENNES UNIVERSITY, Department of University Relations, www.vinu.edu/news/newsroom