Washington DC – Today, General Motors announced the launch of the “Stars, Stripes, and Skilled Trades” initiative, requesting proposals from mission driven nonprofits across the nation to support transitioning service members, veterans, and their families to pursue automotive careers in manufacturing and the skilled trades.
GM plans to support up to 12 proven nonprofit workforce programs across the United States, with priority 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.
“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 employs upwards of 5,000 veterans across a wide variety of roles, and Stars, Stripes and Skilled Trades will help connect even more servicemen, women, and their families to good, high-demand jobs in the automotive industry after transitioning out of active service.
This is yet another pathway GM is opening to help create more workforce development opportunities for America’s veterans. Shifting Gears, an automotive technician training program has provided automotive training and job placement opportunities to more than 1,000 servicemembers leaving active duty.
In 2026, GM committed $50 million in funding aligned to STEAM 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.
The Stars, Stripes and Skilled Trades RFP is open from August 21 through September 30, with winning proposals to be announced later this fall. Applicants can apply at gm.com/veterans-skilled-trades. To learn more about GM’s work to drive support good jobs and power the American economy, see here.
