Lafayette AIM Program
The AIM Program
The Advanced Internship in Manufacturing (AIM) program includes a two-year degree
in Advanced Manufacturing Automation Technology with Industrial Maintenance concentration
that combines cutting-edge curriculum, paid work experience, along with learning highly
sought-after business principles and best practices of a world-class manufacturer.
Interested applicants must complete both the AIM application, as well as the Vincennes
University application. Please select the Advanced Manufacturing Automation Technology
(8480) program on your VU application.
What Makes the AIM Program Different?
Industrial Automation Maintenance skills are highly sought by many manufacturers.
Students earn a wage while attending college and gain priceless work experience with
a leading manufacturer. Over two years, each AIM student can earn a good wage in their
paid internship which, with planning, could cover all of a student’s education expenses.
There are also potential grants and financial aid.
What About After Graduation?
Students in the AIM program earn an Associates of Science Degree through Vincennes
University. Upon successful completion of the program AIM graduates may qualify for
a full-time position in manufacturing. Additionally, AIM graduates can continue their
education at Purdue Polytechnic to earn a Purdue University Bachelor's degree. Some
AIM partners offer full time employees a tuition assistance program which allows the
completion of the BS degree with little or no costs.
How it Works
The Application Process: Students interested in the AIM program must apply using both the Vincennes University
application and the AIM application. The Accuplacer Placement Test may need to be
taken. Request an Accuplacer Testing Appointment. Once accepted to Vincennes University AIM partners will review your application
and determine which applicants meet the rigorous background requirements. Next, the
AIM partnership will interview candidates and select students for the upcoming class.
(For information regarding the application process, please call 812-888-4812.)
Semester I: During the first semester of their freshman year, AIM students will study Advanced
Manufacturing Automation Technology classes on the Vincennes campus. Student must
maintain at least a “C” or higher in all classes. Student success will be closely
monitored.
Additional Semesters: After Semester l, AIM students will work at an AIM Partner's site and take classes in the Lafayette, IN area. Two days a week, students will take VU classes at the ABC Construction site located in Lafayette. They will earn a Vincennes University Associates degree in Advanced Manufacturing Automation Technology with a concentration in Industrial Maintenance. Three days a week students will work various technical assignments while applying technologies learned in the classroom. During school, students work approximately 24 hours a week at their internship manufacturing facility. Students must maintain a “C” or higher in all classes to be retained in this selective program. It is expected that AIM students will live in the Lafayette area after completing the first semester on the Vincennes campus. This hands-on approach of applying classroom knowledge on the job is one of a few national programs where students learn while they earn valuable real world experience and excellent compensation.
Time Frame: Once accepted into the AIM program, students experience hands-on learning, attend
VU courses, and real work experience continuously until graduation. Our manufacturing
partners offer paid summer employment prior to starting VU classes. The entire program
lasts six consecutive semesters including summer sessions. You may view the required
courses. *Note, the sequence of courses may vary.
Students are responsible for covering the cost of tuition and fees at Vincennes University.
(Please check the VU website for current tuition rates and fees).
About the Partnership
The AIM program is a partnership between Vincennes University, Acuity Brand Lighting, Banjo Corporation, Evonik, Heartland Automotive, Lakewood Book Company, Nanshan, Nucor, and Purdue Polytechnic Institute. The goal is to the meet the skilled
worker needs of Indiana’s growing manufacturing sector.
Under the guidance of highly experienced administrators, faculty and staff members, Vincennes University students have the opportunity to pursue or advance careers in a number of industry-specific areas of expertise such as: teaching, health care, computer programming, journalism, nursing, aviation, advanced manufacturing and technology. Through partnerships, VU graduates can continue their education toward a Bachelor’s degree at Purdue.
Acuity Brands, Inc. is a lighting and building management firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with operations throughout North America and in Europe and Asia. As of 2024, the company has approximately 12,000 employees and recorded net sales of $3.84 billion for the fiscal year. In terms of market share, Acuity Brands is the largest lighting manufacturer in North America and the holding company for Acuity Brands Lighting which included the Lithonia Lighting, Holophane, Peerless, and Mark Architectural brands, among others.
Banjo Corporation, located in Crawfordsville, Indiana specializes in injection molding of glass reinforced polypropylene with an excellent reputation for high quality. Our products provide liquid handling solutions in agricultural applications. We have been in business for over 60 years and are actively involved in the local community through partners such as The Boys & Girls Club and Youth Services Bureau. We pride ourselves with innovative designs, skillful engineering and precise manufacturing in a cohesive, team environment. Banjo is a business unit of IDEX Corporation. For more information, please visit banjocorp.com.
IDEX (NYSE: IEX) is a company that has undoubtedly touched your life in some way. In fact, we make thousands of products that are mission critical components in everyday activities. If you or a family member is battling cancer or another life-threatening disease, your doctor may have tested your DNA in a quest to find the best targeted medicine for you. It’s likely your DNA test was run on equipment that contains components made by our IDEX Health & Science team. You can enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables thanks in part to Banjo, an IDEX company. Banjo valves are used on the agriculture sprayers that apply fertilizer on crops. And if you were ever in a car accident, the Hurst Jaws of Life®/LUKAS® tool may have rescued you.
Founded in 1988 with three small, entrepreneurial manufacturing companies, we’re proud to say that we now call 40 diverse businesses around the world part of the IDEX family. With 7,000 employees and manufacturing operations in more than 20 countries, IDEX is a high-performing, global $2+ billion company committed to making trusted solutions that improve lives. For more information, visit www.idexcorp.com.
From custom lipids to plant-derived medical solutions, we create special kinds of products that improve millions of lives in a thousand different ways. Starting production in 1954 with just natural fermentation in large molecule manufacturing, Evonik Tippecanoe Laboratories now is a production facility that utilizes fermentation and chemical synthesis processes for the manufacture of many products from a scale of 30-gallon reactors in the kilo-scale pilot plant to 65,000-gallon fermentors! The manufacturing units at the site follow cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practices) to develop and manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients, including highly potent ones for cancer medications.
Evonik wants to find solutions to real-world problems with innovative ideas, teamwork, and practical solutions to make the world at Evonik a better place. https://careers.evonik.com/en/opportunities/health care
Heartland Automotive is a manufacturer of interior and exterior automotive parts. Our products include plastic molded, painted and assembled parts. These parts are used in Instrument Panels, Door Panels, Consoles, Pillars, Head Liners, Aprons and Rear Gates and Exterior Cladding. We have two Indiana locations: Greencastle and Lafayette. We are a proud supplier of automotive parts to Subaru of Indiana Automotive as well as other prominent automobile companies.
Lakeside Book Company is the largest book printing, binding, and distribution company in North America. The Company has a rich legacy of quality books crafted and enjoyed by readers all around the globe since 1864 when R.R. Donnelley started as a partner at a small printing company in Chicago. They offer a range of services to publishers, including: digital and offset printing for small and large print runs, smyth sewing, PUR adhesive, mechanical binding, intellectual property and brand protection, and decorative components like specialty covers and jackets.
Nanshan America is the newest integrated aluminum casting and extrusion facility in
North America. Utilizing the latest technologies in equipment and processes, our
600,000 square foot manufacturing facility is capable of producing 150,000 tons of
extrusion ingot and 50,000 tons of extruded product annually.
Nucor Corporation is an American company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, that produces steel and related products. It is the largest steel producer in the United States, the largest recycler of scrap in North America, and the 16th-largest steel producer in the world. Along with Commercial Metals Company, it is one of two primary suppliers of rebar used to reinforce concrete in buildings, bridges, roads, and infrastructure in the U.S.
Founded in 1869 in West Lafayette, Indiana, the university proudly serves its state as well as the nation and the world. Academically, Purdue’s role as a major research institution is supported by top-ranking disciplines in pharmacy, business, engineering, and agriculture. VU advanced manufacturing students can receive a four year degree from Purdue without leaving the Vincennes University campus. AIM students can transfer into Purdue's Engineering Technology program.
