Mercedes-Benz U.S. International advertised a new partnership with the University when it launched the Mercedes-Benz Graduate Fellowship program on campus Wednesday.

The program will select two graduate students to work for Mercedes for two semesters at their facility in Vance.

Ola Kaellenius, president and CEO of MBUSI, said he was recruited into the company 17 years ago due to a similar advertisement from Daimler, the corporation that owns Mercedes-Benz.

Kaellenius said his desire to travel influenced his decision to work in the automotive industry.

“I knew I wanted an international job, and this company has so many opportunities in different countries around the world,” Kaellenius said. “We’re present in all markets. It’s not unusual that you’ll work in one market, and, if you wish, to then continue your career in another market.”

Kaellenius said Mercedes-Benz is looking forward to working with graduate students who are ambitious and passionate, and he said he often draws an analogy between the company’s competitiveness and the philosophy of the football program at the University.

“We play to win,” Kaellenius said. “We want to be the brand of choice.”

Shawn Gilliam, a manager of Assembly 1 Operations for MBUSI, said the company’s co-op program when he was a graduate student at the University was crucial to advancing his career.

He said that his work in the co-op program and the job that he was offered upon graduation have placed him in various positions that have given him invaluable experience in his profession.

He said the program offers the benefits of an early start to a career, the ability to learn important knowledge in the automotive industry at a young age, and the wisdom to be able to fine-tune an academic curriculum to fit a student’s desire profession in the industry.

Mark Jones, manager of human resources for MBUSI, said students can apply for the program through the cooperative education department on campus.

The department can be found on the third floor of Houser Hall behind the Ferguson Center or online at coop.eng.ua.edu.

Jones said the company is looking for students who have graduated with degrees in finance, accounting, electrical engineering with a computer option, mechanical engineering or operations management.

Jones said the selected students will be paid $19 per hour on a full-time basis for the semesters that they work.

Also, Jones said the co-op program will award the students $5,000 per semester for tuition, books, and fees and $500 per month for housing costs. To top it all off, Jones said a job will be offered to the students upon graduation.

Daniel Whitaker, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering who attended the presentation, said the offer seems appealing.

“It’s pretty impressive,” Whitaker said. “It’s a good company to work for, and they’ve offered to pay for things like housing that a lot of students need to have taken care of nowadays. I haven’t decided if I’m going to apply for it, though.”