When undergraduate engineering and science students rank their top five "ideal employers," Lockheed Martin is most often their No. 1 pick, according to the 2005 Universum Undergraduate Survey.

The Universum study, conducted annually since 1999, polled nearly 30,000 students at 123 leading universities, doubling the total number of students surveyed the year before. In the survey, students describe their career expectations and list their most desirable employers. When engineering and science students ranked their five ideal employers, Lockheed Martin was their first choice more often than any other company.

"This is no surprise to me," said Claudia Tattanelli, Universum Communications CEO. "Lockheed Martin recruiters have established a strong connection with both students and faculty. Students are often impressed by the caliber of the recruiters, their enthusiasm about the company and the individual attention they get from the recruiters." Tattanelli added, "Most companies focus on mass marketing on campus, but it's the one-on-one approach that makes you a first choice employer. Lockheed Martin has mastered that."

Lockheed Martin had its best year to date in the Universum Survey, jumping up as many as 18 places to No. 16 in the overall rankings. Lockheed Martin ranked third in the category for best campus activities and sixth in the category for most impressive Web site. Among Information Technology (IT) students, the company rose seven places in popularity, landing on No. 6. "Lockheed Martin provides exciting opportunities to work on programs of national significance -- particularly in systems and IT -- which now constitutes 50% of our sales and more than 50% of our profits and is a key area of concentration for the Corporation," said Lockheed Martin senior vice president for Human Resources, Ken Disken.

Students overall indicated that they associate Lockheed Martin with financial strength, exciting products, and a strong corporate culture supported by high ethical standards. "We believe very simply that good ethics is good business, and this basic value is ingrained in all Lockheed Martin employees from their very first day on the job and refreshed annually through all employee ethics training," Disken said.

Not just students are attracted to Lockheed Martin. Colleges and universities are genuinely appreciative of Lockheed Martin's efforts to reach out to their student body. One such example is the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). "By providing consistent support to a wide array of student professional organizations and those which support diversity, Lockheed Martin has provided the means for these organizations to excel in their programs and activities," said Lynn Boyd, director, Corporate Liaison for Georgia Tech. "With Lockheed Martin, sponsorship doesn't end with the financial support -- their representatives and executives meet face to face with student leaders and faculty on a regular basis throughout the year. Campus managers and executives make presentations at conferences and student organization meetings. Lockheed Martin supports Georgia Tech's ability to provide our students with an excellent education and a rich overall student experience."

Lockheed Martin recognizes that the recruitment process begins early on. "We are focused on reaching out to students early in their collegiate careers," said Leslie Chappell, senior manager for University Relations at Lockheed Martin. "Our efforts are focused on enhancing relationships with schools recognized for their expertise in developing technical talent in addition to our support of diverse programs that encourage students of all backgrounds to pursue technical-degree fields. Women and minorities remain underrepresented in engineering and we are working diligently to foster more interest in math and science -- not just in college, but in K through 12 education as well. The talent pipeline for critical skills Lockheed Martin needs in its future workforce begins at a very early age."

About Universum

Universum Communications is the leading international research and management consulting company focusing on the career expectations of today's students and young professionals. The Philadelphia-based company's three main areas of activity are research, advisory services and media. During the past 20 years, Universum's research department has closely monitored international human resource trends relating to attracting, recruiting and retaining top talent, conducting surveys at more than 300 leading universities worldwide, with more than 100,000 students participating each year.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 130,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2004 sales of $35.5 billion.

For additional information, visit our website: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin