General Motors Sponsors U.S. Veterans Innovation Partnership Program

General Motors has announced its sponsorship of the U.S. Department of State’s Veterans Innovation Partnership (VIP) program, which looks to provide U.S. military veterans with a one-year paid position in a U.S. Government position.

The program helps U.S. war vets with their transition to diplomacy and furthers their career development, GM says. By providing them with educational opportunities to study international relations, establishing opportunities at U.S. Government foreign affairs agencies and facilitating international public and private employment opportunities, veterans can make a smoother transition into everyday life.

“We know that transitioning from military to civilian life can seem like a daunting task, and we want to do everything in our power to help them,” GM chief diversity officer Ken Barrett said in a statement. “These men and women have given so much for our country that they deserve our best efforts to make a difference in their life.”

The initiative is one of many GM has put forward as it looks to continue its support of U.S. military veterans. The automaker is a sponsor of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s ‘Hiring Our Heroes‘ program, which helps vets and their spouses find jobs, and is also a partner in a coalition of private sector businesses dedicated to hiring 100,000 veterans by 2020.

In addition to these efforts, GM has also established the GM Service Technical College, which gives U.S. vets free training necessary to prepare them for technical and non-technical work roles at a car dealership. Lastly, the automaker supports the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans, which helps wounded vets overcome various injuries through athletic training.

“The Veterans Innovation Partnership is about recognizing not just how the State Department can help veterans, but about how veterans can help the State Department – we want to tap into the important leadership and service experience that they offer,” said Andrew O’Brien, special representative for Global Partnerships. “We are grateful to partners like General Motors for their commitment in making a program like this possible.”