General Motors partners with U.S. Army to train service members
To ease the transition the burden of finding jobs facing U.S. veterans once they leave the armed forced, General Motors has partnered with the U.S. Army on the Shifting Gears Automotive Technical Training Program. Through this program, soldiers are provided the technical skills and personal and professional development support needed to launch an automotive career.
In this program, students spend 12 weeks immersed in full-time training administered by V2X, a professional learning service provider. The program blends classroom instruction with hands-on technical practice, aimed at providing participants the theoretical knowledge and practical shop experience they'll need for the field.
Provided at no cost to service member, every graduate is qualified to work as an entry-level technician at a GM dealership when they complete active duty. Recently, the program celebrated its 998th graduate since launching in August 2014.
The National Automobile Dealers Association estimates the U.S. automotive workforce falls short by 37,000 trained technicians each year. Shifting gears addresses this issue and aims to provide a solution by connecting graduates with dealers looking for qualified experts.
Many graduates of Shifting Gears go on to have careers in GM's dealer network, but the program's mission extends beyond job placement. When leaving active duty, First Sergeant Steve Bailey was drawn to the Shifting Gears program because of his deep love of cars. A proud graduate of the program, Bailey is now the Training Manager for GM’s Shifting Gears.
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“Our commitment goes beyond job placement—we also support them through the broader transition from military to civilian life,” explained Bailey. “That shift comes with its own set of challenges, so we emphasize personal and professional growth, helping graduates build confidence, adaptability, and a strong foundation for long-term success both in and out of the workplace. We call this ‘taking the uniform off.’”
“Everything about my childhood was surrounded by race cars,” said Blake True, a program graduate. “Instead of yearly family vacations, we were at the drag strip every weekend. When I was going through the process of ending my enlistment, I was told about the Shifting Gears program. I always wanted to learn more about working on vehicles and I had no idea what I was going to do for work upon exiting the military.”