MOORESTOWN, NJ, 29-JUN-07 -- Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] Moorestown business recently welcomed the first 18 participants for its new Information Technology (IT) Apprenticeship Program. The three-year outreach program is designed to provide local high school students with valuable work experience and, ultimately, a possible career at Lockheed Martin.

The inaugural class of the IT Apprenticeship Program is made up of 11th grade students from the Burlington County Institute of Technology and Camden County Technical School. The program’s participants will receive classroom training at program partners Burlington County College and Camden County College; on-the-job training at Lockheed Martin; and continual one-on-one mentoring from assigned Lockheed Martin employees. For the final year of the program, following high school graduation, the participants will progressively spend more time getting “hands-on” experience at Lockheed Martin’s facility.

Upon successful completion of the IT Apprenticeship Program, participants will receive an Information Technician Registration Certificate from the state of New Jersey and have the opportunity to become full-time Lockheed Martin employees.

“The IT Apprenticeship Program provides an incredible opportunity to students,” said Dr. Fred Aiken, principal of the Burlington County Institute of Technology. “We are excited to partner with Lockheed Martin to effectively train tomorrow’s workforce and provide a path for our students towards a technology-related career.”

“Lockheed Martin is proud to be a part of this very focused and structured program that includes close collaboration with the New Jersey and federal Departments of Labor and Departments of Education, as well as the local high schools and colleges,” explained Jonathan Montague, senior manager of Readiness Engineering at Lockheed Martin. “As Lockheed Martin looks towards its future workforce needs, the IT Apprenticeship Program will be a great asset to help us develop our talent requirements.”

Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.