Several automakers and logistics companies offer programs to train active-duty military members to become civilian auto mechanics after leaving the service.

Each year, almost 200,000 military veterans look for work upon exiting the armed forces. However, data from the Pew Research Center shows that only one in four veterans has a civilian job lined up after leaving the service. As veterans transition to civilian life from the service, it?s important that there are enough job opportunities to make the transition easier. In a 2022 interview with CBS News, Major General Dustin ?Dusty? Shultz, a two-star general with the U.S. Army, stressed that the transition from military service to civilian life was challenging.

Service members learn specific terminology and codes of behavior that may be difficult to translate into a civilian environment. As many military members join right after graduating from high school, some find it challenging to get a job that doesn?t require a four-year degree.
There?s a Worsening Auto Mechanic Shortage

A report from the TechForce Foundation, a nonprofit focused on helping students recognize the value of technical education and skilled trades, says that the number of people who finish postsecondary automotive tech training has dropped by 20% since 2020. As it stands, the need for automotive technicians ? including, but not limited to, technicians trained to work on electric vehicles ? is far outpacing the number of certified mechanics joi...