BASF to Host Minority and Urban College Students for Weekend of Career Counseling, Mentoring Workshops.

Business Editors

MOUNT OLIVE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 22, 2001

BASF will host more than 200 minority college students and their parents from the eight counties of northern New Jersey this weekend (Feb. 24-25) for mentoring, career counseling workshops and practice exercises to ensure successful job placement and career development.

The two-day "Talent Pool 2001" program is sponsored by BASF and INROADS, a nationwide non-profit network designed to help business and industry develop talented minority youth for professional careers, and to recruit outstanding college students for placement as interns during the summer.

The weekend will feature training sessions focused on the corporate environment and student competencies, appreciating diversity, corporate and social etiquette and mock interviews with corporate professionals from many of northern New Jersey's largest corporations.

BASF is a leading corporate sponsor of the INROADS Northern New Jersey affiliate. The company has employed a number of interns identified through the INROADS program at several of its manufacturing locations across the country, and envisions that many of the interns will be candidates for future employment at BASF.

With an annual graduate placement rate averaging about 70% nationally, INROADS interns receive and accept their sponsors' job offers at more than double the rate of other interns.

"BASF hopes to mirror the national statistics in its experience with INROADS," states Sheila Jefferies, BASF Manager-Human Resources and INROADS Business Coordinator. "Many BASF locations have benefited from the high-caliber, high-energy interns who come to us from INROADS."

"Whether we're recruiting engineers, accountants or any other discipline, INROADS will offer a truly unique way to build a high-quality, creative and diverse workforce."

Founded in 1970 in Chicago, INROADS, Inc. started with 25 student interns and 17 corporate partners. The organization has grown to 52 affiliates, more than 7,000 high school and college students and more than 930 corporate partners in 36 states, the District of Columbia, Mexico City and Toronto.

BASF Corporation and its subsidiaries rank among the top producers of chemicals and related products in the United States, Canada and Mexico with sales of $7.2 billion in 1999. Based in Mount Olive, New Jersey, BASF Corporation is the North American affiliate of BASF AG (NYSE: BF) of Ludwigshafen, Germany. "We don't make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.(R)" summarizes BASF's diverse product offerings including chemicals, polymers, automotive and industrial coatings, colorants, pharmaceuticals, nylon fibers and agricultural products. BASF employs more than 16,000 people at about 50 locations in North America and has an Internet site at http://www.basf.com. The slogan is a registered trademark of BASF Corporation.

Note to editors: Interviews will be available with Participants in the INROADS "Talent Pool 2001", including students, parents and BASF corporate representatives. To arrange your attendance, contact Mark Mazer at BASF at 973-426-2815.