Audi Once Again Named Top Employer by Engineers

INGOLSTADT, GERMANY – May 18, 2009: Germany’s engineering students have once again voted AUDI AG the most attractive employer, as Universum revealed today in its Most Popular Employers rankings. The Ingolstadt-based automotive company came out on top among budding engineers to repeat as victor.

Universum polled 19,000 university students throughout Germany, of all semesters and various fields of study, about career opportunities and employer attractiveness. The findings show that engineering students prefer Audi over other employers. The company thus defended last year’s title as Number One. AUDI AG furthermore finished in fourth place among economics students, just like in 2008. “These accolades confirm that we are definitely en route to becoming the automotive industry’s most attractive employer by 2015,” says Dr. Werner Widuckel, Member of the Board of Management for Human Resources at AUDI AG. He then underscored just how much students expect from top-tier employers. “People looking for a job consider key factors such as earning power, opportunities for career development, job security – but also the potential employer’s products,” explains Dr. Widuckel, before adding: “Our staff identifies with Audi’s emotion-stirring cars. We’ll expand our portfolio to 42 models by 2015. For recent university graduates, that’s tremendous incentive to accompany the brand’s evolution. At the same time, they have an opportunity to set and achieve ambitious personal goals.”

Despite – and indeed in light of – these economically challenging times, AUDI AG continues to invest in its innovative products and employees alike. The company is acknowledging its centennial anniversary with a campaign offering 100 additional apprenticeship slots, primarily in fields of innovation such as electric powertrains and lightweight design. Moreover, Audi will hire a total of 300 specialists this year.

Audi grooms secondary-school and university students via a broad spectrum of targeted training programs. “We value establishing contact early on to dedicated and gifted secondary-school and university students – be it at job fairs, during internships, or with regard to a thesis or dissertation,” says Michael Groß, Head of Personnel Marketing at AUDI AG. “We offer them not only attractive jobs, but also excellent opportunities for career advancement.”

The global leader in employer branding, Universum has been serving as a liaison between students and employers for 20 years. Its rankings are some of the most significant concerning the appeal of German employers.