(July 2008) -- Over 130 interns and co-ops recently started their summer assignments at our headquarters Trexlertown campus. These students were recruited from over 40 universities in the U.S., with the help of nearly 100 recruiters from our Human Resources (HR) Central Staffing Team and our business areas. In addition, there are nearly 20 interns working at our North American field locations for the summer.

These internships are an essential part of recruiting for our Global Career Development Program (CDP). Interns and co-ops meeting the Company's expectations during the summer, and who are entering their final year of college, will go through an assessment center at the end of the summer, and if successful, will be eligible to receive CDP offers. These students have assignments in Engineering, Operations, Commercial, Finance, HR, Information Technology, and Technology. Upon entering the company, they are matched to a mentor to assist in understanding the Air Products work environment and to help them transition to corporate life.

Interns also participate in a variety of brown bag lunches and are given the opportunity to visit several of our U.S. manufacturing facilities to round out the experience. As the competition for talent continues, our internship program is an important element in attracting future leaders of the company.