WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University and its president, Mitch Daniels, have launched a “brain gain” initiative to recruit alumni back to the Hoosier State.

“The remaining problem in Indiana’s economy is talent. There’s a lot of talent that grew up in this state and or went to school in this state, and we’re reaching out to some of them telling them, if you’re ever interested in coming back, now’s a really good time to do it,” Daniels said.

Now, he wants to get the word out that Indiana is a place that should be on your radar. Daniels started with a pilot program. He sent a letter to Purdue alumni inviting them to check out the job scene.

“We know that Purdue alums by the thousands are talented people. They’ve got big jobs in all kinds of businesses and professions,” Daniels said.

After the pilot program, more than 220 people are interested in exploring professional opportunities in Indiana. From scientists, to legal counsel, and research physicians, he wants to showcase the Hoosier State as a fun and affordable place to raise a family compared to high cost of living cities like Los Angeles.

“If you can get them to come have a look, they’ll like it. If you can get them to move here, they’ll love it, and they’ll become your missionaries,” Daniels said.

Daniels sent a letter to nearly 300 companies inviting them to join the program to ramp up the efforts and get jobs filled with a booming “brain gain.”

“Let’s try to do a little match-making and see what happens.”

The initiative is partnering with an Indiana startup to match talent with interested job candidates. Daniels says his next move is to reach out to other universities statewide to participate and reach out to their alumni groups.