AISI and AIST Foundation Launch New Initiative Aimed at Steel Engineers

AISI and the Association for Iron & Steel Technology Foundation (AIST Foundation) are now accepting applications from students of engineering interested in a career in the steel industry. The Steel Engineering Education Link (STEEL) Initiative's goals are to encourage more students to choose a career in the steel industry and to increase the number of professors knowledgeable about steel in North American universities.

"These new scholarships encompassing a number of engineering disciplines will aid deserving students in broadening their knowledge of steel industry," Andrew G. Sharkey, III, AISI president and CEO said. "At least 10 more top-caliber students will win STEEL Scholarships in 2006."

Similar to AISI and AIST Foundation's FeMET Initiative, each scholarship includes $5,000 for the scholar's junior year, a paid summer internship with a North American steel company between their junior and senior years and $5,000 toward their senior year tuition.

The combination of a scholarship and summer internship is intended to provide incentive for students to become involved in the steel industry. As a result, students entering the program are ensured a two-year commitment, provided a satisfactory performance by the student both academically and in their internship.

"With the introduction of STEEL Initiative, engineering students across all disciplines will be exposed to the challenging career opportunities that exist in today's steel industry," said Ron Ashburn, Executive Director of AIST. "The program will complement our FeMET Initiative, which focuses solely on ferrous metallurgy and materials science majors."

Instructions for applying are found on the AISI and AIST Foundation websites, www.steel.org and www.aist.org, respectively. The application deadline is June 9, 2006.