PEOPLE Nearly 25% of our 2021 intern class were returning interns. INVESTED IN EARLY CAREER TALENT In 2021, we welcomed more than 300 interns from  We hire high school and college students directly into  student programs that provide in-person and experiential 79 colleges and universities to our Caterpillar family and learning to sharpen their skills and develop hands-on provided opportunities aligned with their career interest knowledge of our business. and/or field of academic study. In addition to online learning, Caterpillar offers development opportunities for employees to lead challenging projects, take on stretch assignments, serve on committees, join Employee Resources Groups, work with mentors and job shadow others — all aimed at fostering collaboration and learning. With a business case for investment and their manager’s sponsorship, hundreds of employees each year deepen their knowledge, pursue new career paths and add to their credentials by taking advantage of our tuition assistance program, which covers most of their expenses for tuition, fees and books. Through deliberate succession planning, we identify and prepare leaders for new opportunities across the company. Intentional development planning helps our employees identify and work on the skills they need now and in the future. DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES • Cust omized training programs in Acuna, Mexico, met the increase in demand for welders by developing locally customized training programs aimed at the need for more specialized workers. Through a partnership with CONALEP, a local technical school, we developed a customized training program that increased class sizes and reduced the lead time for new welders to join our production line, resulting in 117 new welding certifications. • Developing front-line leaders is an increased focus through a new Leadership Development (LD) program called LD200, based on real-life challenges and opportunities leaders face. The program is offered through on-demand and in-person sessions. In 2022, an estimated 2,000 leaders in multiple countries will experience the inaugural program. 45CATERPILLAR 2021 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT