Ingredion celebrated National Intern Day with its largest-ever U.S. intern and co-op class. Seventy-two students from more than 40 universities are gaining hands-on experience working in the food and beverage industry while networking with leaders and gaining exposure to various Company functions. Fourteen Company locations across the U.S. are hosting students, including manufacturing facilities, Idea Labs, and offices. 

This year's intern class grew by 20 percent since last year, including a 47 percent increase in engineering interns supporting our manufacturing facilities in North Kansas City, Missouri, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Belcamp, Maryland, and Bedford Park, Illinois. After graduating, many interns and co-ops enter our Global Talent for Operations (GTO) program, providing them with a solid operations (engineering, quality, and supply chain) foundation as they grow in their careers. 

"Investing in our future leaders through immersive early career programs such as the internship program is at the core of our mission to Be What's Next," said Aaron Huennerkopf, senior director of global talent acquisition. "We strive to promote an environment where Everyone Belongs, including providing interns with the guidance, support and encouragement to help them succeed as they prepare to join the workforce." 

National Intern Day

As an annual participant of National Intern Day, the Company holds events to acknowledge and celebrate the work of our interns. At the Company headquarters in Westchester, Illinois, a BBQ lunch event was held for staff, providing additional networking opportunities for interns to meet employees from different areas. Our Bridgewater, New Jersey Idea Lab celebrated the day with ice cream trucks, while our Argo manufacturing facility in Bedford Park, Illinois, hosted a breakfast in honor of the day. In addition, all the interns participated in a virtual zero-waste cooking class hosted by Anne Marie Bonneau, the author of The Zero-Waste Chef. They learned to cook sustainably, including composting, fermenting, re-using food scraps, and reducing plastic usage.

"As a former Ingredion intern, I value the connections I made with my fellow interns last summer," said Jessica Rebstock, university relations and early talent specialist. "Being able to celebrate National Intern Day with this year's class at the BBQ event was special as I was able to share my experiences from last year and what I have learned as a recent Ingredion hire."

More information on Ingredion's internship opportunities can be found on the website.

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