GM Collaborates With U.S. Army To Provide Training For Discharged Soldiers

General Motors is working with the U.S. Army and defense contractor Raytheon Co. to train discharged soldiers to be service technicians at its dealerships.

The “Shifting Gears” mission has trained 116 people since launching in the fall of 2014, with approximately one-third of its graduates going on to work in service departments at various GM retail facilities.

“Our involvement is twofold,” explained Mark Miller, GM’s director for dealer service and global warranty operations. “This is an effort to take someone who understands a mission, who is all about accountability and integrity, who shows up for work to do a great job. Who wouldn’t want to employ a veteran?”

Miller continued to say that there are approximately 2,500 technician vacancies that must be filled each year at GM’s 4,300 dealerships, due to retirements and general employee turnover. Those who participate in the program spend over three months learning a variety of skills, from servicing transmissions and diagnosing electrical problems to tearing down engines. The majority of the students begin within 90 days of their military discharge, and become fully qualified to handle light repairs through a combination of shop training, classroom time and online studies. Miller said that GM is aware of 35 of the 116 graduates who are employed at GM dealerships, while some have found jobs at other shops or have chosen not to become full-time mechanics.

“While a number of them get a position in the field that may not be directly at a GM dealership, we are still happy to help fill the mission of the Army to find that soldier a good-paying job,” said Miller.

Mark Chockran, general manager at All American Chevrolet of Killeen, said that his store has hired three graduates of the program to work as technicians.

“Their understanding of the technology and GM service systems puts them ahead of other candidates,” Chockran said in a statement.

Miller describes the program as being “still in its infancy,” and he expressed the potential to expand the training to other locations if the initial effort proves successful. The hope is that the training program will serve as a valuable resource to fill the annual vacancies at GM dealerships while providing discharged soldiers with new skills and employment opportunities for the future.