As a proud dealer of General Motors vehicles here in Kenosha, we’re always happy to see the company that produces our vehicles also providing meaningful contributions toward causes we’re passionate about. Here at Palmen Buick GMC Cadillac, we’re deeply grateful to the men and women who have served our country, and we certainly appreciate all the sacrifices these individuals have made in order to keep our country strong and secure. The fact is, though, that transitioning back into civilian life can be a real challenge for many soldiers, and that’s why this new program GM is entering is so beneficial. The Shifting Gears program will be a great asset to its participants as well as the GM dealerships that go on to employ them.
The program’s full name is the Shifting Gears Automotive Technician Training Program, and it begins this month at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas. It’s a collaborative effort between General Motors, Raytheon, and the U.S. Army, and the goal is to help some of the 130,000 annual return soldiers to better re-acclimate to life back at home in their communities. One huge part of this process, of course, is to find a job. Because many soldiers enter service straight out of high school, they sometimes lack the vocational training needed for many jobs, and are competing for positions against candidates who have been part of the workforce or higher education.
Shifting Gears will provide a 12-week training program at Fort Hood that involves classroom time, online work, and hands-on technical training that will prepare returning soldiers for work in service technician positions at GM dealership service centers. Upon completion of the training, these men and women will then receive assistance through the Army’s Soldier For Life program, which helps military personnel throughout their lives both during and after service, in partnership with GM’s network of dealerships throughout the country to help with job placement recommendations as well as employment assistance.
Here at Palmen Buick GMC Cadillac, we’re happy to hear that this program is kicking off and will help so many people gain skills to reintegrate after serving our country. We’re grateful to those men and women, which is why we are also happy to offer the GM Military Discount on our Buick and GMC models.
