FORT HOOD, Texas, Oct. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Shifting Gears
Automotive Technician Training Program at Ft. Hood in Killeen,
Texas, has successfully trained 101 soldiers as GM-certified
automotive technicians to prepare them for success in civilian
life.
Developed through a multi-year partnership between Raytheon, the
U.S. Army and General Motors (GM), Shifting Gears has graduated
four classes of soldiers since it launched in the summer of 2014. A
fifth class is scheduled to graduate at the end of October,
bringing the total number of soldiers trained on the program to
117.
The 12-week Shifting Gears program consists of 480 hours of
customized curricula, including classroom, online and hands-on
technical training. Raytheon helped to establish the program as
part of its longstanding commitment to support members of the
military, veterans and their families.
"Shifting Gears is allowing me to leverage my existing skills
from the U.S. Army to start and build the career I wanted in my
civilian life," said Samuel Wren, GM
Certified Service Technician at All American Chevrolet of
Killeen. "This program gave me the
skills and experience to hit the ground running as a service
technician."
"Fort Hood's partnership with
General Motors and Raytheon to launch the Shifting Gears career
skills program proved absolutely the right step for soldiers of the
Great Place," said Col. Todd M. Fox,
U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hood commander. "Fort Hood soldiers are highly-technical,
mechanically-inclined, self-disciplined and dedicated candidates
for General Motors. In fact, companies nationwide from all
industries need look no further."
GM's dealer network is hiring approximately 2,500 new
technicians every year, demonstrating the high demand for qualified
technicians.
"GM is committed to supporting our nation's military and
providing veterans with real career opportunities," said
Mark Chockran, general manager at
All American Chevrolet of Killeen.
"We have three graduates at our dealership, and all have been
impressive in terms of the knowledge and life skills they bring to
the job. Their understanding of the technology and GM service
systems puts them ahead of other candidates."
"Because Raytheon provides training services for almost every
active duty U.S. Army soldier, offering this important program,
which arms soldiers with the training and support they need to find
meaningful careers once they leave the military, extends our
mission," said Bob Williams,
Raytheon Global Training Solutions vice president. "Shifting Gears
is a strong expression of the productive partnership Raytheon
enjoys with the U.S. Army and General Motors."
About Raytheon
Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), with 2014 sales of $23 billion and 61,000 employees worldwide, is a
technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil
government and cybersecurity markets throughout the world. With a
history of innovation spanning 93 years, Raytheon provides
state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other
capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command,
control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as
cybersecurity and a broad range of mission support services.
Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham,
Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com
and follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.
Media Contacts
Raytheon
Jo-Anne Sears
571.250.1914
iispr@raytheon.com
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SOURCE Raytheon Company