“At General Motors, we believe creating clear pathways to good jobs is central to strengthening our communities and the broader economy,” said General Motors Vice President of Infrastructure and Corporate Citizenship David Massaron. “Yet, too many transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses still face uncertain employment prospects. At the same time, our industry faces a critical shortage of skilled trades and manufacturing talent. Stars, Stripes and Skilled Trades, builds on a century of GM’s support for America’s heroes. By connecting this incredible talent with high-demand careers, we are expanding the pipeline that will power the future of American manufacturing.”

GM has plans to support up to 12 proven non-profit workforce programs across the United States. Priority will be “for organizations that demonstrate job-placement pathways, industry-recognized credentials, strong employer partnerships, and relevance to GM facility communities. Successful respondents to the Request for Proposal will receive grants ranging from $100,000 to $500,000 to expand and strengthen their workforce development efforts.”

GM through its “Shifting Gears” program is already running an automotive technician training program that has provided automotive training and job placement opportunities to more than 1000 servicemembers leaving active duty. In 2026, GM committed $50 million in funding aligned to STEAM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics – AutoCrat] education and tripled its workforce development grantmaking to $15 million. “Together, these partnerships and programs represent a growing, multi million dollar investment in expanding access to good jobs, modernizing skilled-trades careers for the future and strengthening the talent pipeline in communities across the country,” GM said.