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Automotive Supplier Trainee Exchange Program Starts Second Internship

11 January 2000

Automotive Supplier Trainee Exchange Program (ASTEP) Starts Second Internship

  HCI Group Launches Second ASTEP International Internship Program bringing
           young German professionals to U.S. automotive suppliers

           Business, technical and engineering disciplines targeted

    DETROIT, Jan. 11 -- The HCI Group announced the launch
of its second phase of "A.S.T.E.P." (Automotive Supplier Trainee Exchange
Program) after the tremendous success of the first group of interns with
supplier companies.
    ASTEP, a joint venture between HCI Group and New York-based CDS
International, provides opportunities for young German professionals, ages 22
to 30, to participate in internship programs with United States automotive
supplier companies.  The trainee programs, lasting from three to 18 months,
foster greater understanding for relationships between U.S. and German (and
European) businesses.
    "The first group of interns are proving a huge success with their
employers," states Ronald Hesse, president of the HCI Group.  "These young
professionals are making a significant and positive contribution to the
suppliers they are working for.  In fact, one of the interns has been used
extensively as a sales engineer liaison between its U.S. employer and its
German customer.  He is an integral part of the engineering team and has
traveled to Germany several times for the project."
    Hesse explained the need for ASTEP:  "While the globalization process
continues at a blazing speed in the automotive industry, suppliers need to
increase their internal globalization understanding and awareness.  Suppliers
can now tap young German talent in business, technical, engineering and other
disciplines through these internship trainee programs, which greatly benefit
both the U.S. supplier companies, as well as the young German professionals.
    "Suppliers get multi-lingual trainees who hit the ground running and
understand the business culture of Germany and Europe.  The trainees receive
valuable business and living experience in the United States.  All interns are
university educated and have automotive work experience."
    CDS International was founded as a non-profit organization in 1968.
Today, CDS typically serves over 1,000 individuals each year in a wide variety
of internship, fact-finding, and work-study programs, especially between the
United States and Germany.  CDS is also the U.S. representative of the Robert
Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program, a highly competitive work/study
fellowship in Germany for young professionals with graduate degrees.
    The Chicago-based HCI Group unites automotive supplier executives with
globalization products and services.  The company does this through the
EUROtalk, LATINtalk and AMERItalk newsletters, Automotive Globalization
Executive Seminars and Breakfast Briefings, the http://www.globalautoindustry.com web
site, One-on-One Meetings, the GLOBALtools product catalog, and other
informational, educational and networking processes.