INNOVATE INDIANA

CURRENT STATE OF THE REGION
& QUALITY OF PLACE
Today, Indiana cultivates the 14 th highest
number of graduates in the U.S., but
is 48 th in keeping them here. Northern
Indiana, with 40,000 college students, is in
a unique position to reverse this trend. In
the emerging knowledge economy, human
capital helps determine the speed and
success of communities in adapting to new
opportunities. This region needs people
with the skills to thrive in this technological
environment. The colleges and universities
in Northern Indiana, including Notre Dame,
Saint Mary’s, Holy Cross College, IU South
Bend, Bethel College, Goshen College,
Ancilla College and Ivy Tech Community
College, provide their students and
employees with opportunities to develop
their talents, and through this education
enFocus projects more
than 245 new career
opportunities to be
created within five
years as a result of
these early actions.
- enFocus
and training, these institutions of higher
learning are helping to build a workforce
for the new economy. Over 40,000 students
are attending these institutions; and we are
developing the necessary innovation district
ecosystem that will enable them to stay
after graduation.
In the past decade, Notre Dame, with
financial support from the Lilly Endowment,
partnered with the City of South Bend,
St. Joseph County and many Indiana
corporations to implement supportive
strategies to reverse the outgoing tide
of migration of its graduates and those
of other Indiana colleges. The desired
result is an increase in the percentage
of Indiana citizens with high levels of
educational attainment and careers
that reward that talent. Experience and
independent research has demonstrated
that the root of the net outmigration
problem is a lack of career opportunities
for young professionals, not their lack of
preparedness or awareness.
SECTION 4
The enFocus Solution: Leaders of Notre
Dame’s Engineering, Science, Technology,
Entrepreneurship Excellence Master’s
(ESTEEM) Program collaborated with South
Bend community leaders to establish
enFocus, a separate 501c3 organization, to
help existing companies grow, support the
founding of new companies, and create
high-level careers in the community.
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STATE OF THE REGION
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE REGION ENGAGED CURRENT TRENDS VISION & STRATEGY PROJECTS
& QUALITY OF PLACE
STAKEHOLDERS, EXECUTION
& STRUCTURAL CHANGES
BENCHMARKING
& MEASUREMENT
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT