Building a future-ready workforce at General Motors

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GM is rebuilding its auto industry workforce for a future that is electric, software-enabled and autonomous. As our products change and operations evolve, a future-ready workforce is necessary. Through training and development, GM is providing employees opportunities to stay competitive in gratifying careers today and tomorrow. We are striving to create opportunities for our employees to grow with us in the years ahead. It’s a journey, and we’re aiming to have our employees join us.

Meet the GM employees changing lanes in their career

Heather Finfrock

Electrician

Heather Finfrock has been with GM for 23 years, starting as an apprentice die maker with the Toledo Propulsion Systems operation that stamped small parts. When her plant ceased production of the four-speed transmission, her skilled trades group was assigned to other roles in the plant. Finfrock moved to a production operator role before earning an appointed position as a plant health and safety instructor.

Finfrock was one of nine skilled trades electrician apprentices from the General Motors Toledo Propulsion Systems who participated in special training hosted by the company’s Technical Learning University.

“The more you can arm yourself with training and exposure to all the different opportunities that are out there for you, you have a better shot at moving along with the company… You have to prepare yourself and have some foresight into what it’s going to take for me to advance and succeed here.”

Tarek Kaafarani

Controls Engineer

Kaafarani joined GM as a TRACK engineer. TRACK is GM’s early career development program designed to help new hires build foundational skills and provide exposure to GM’s business through rotational assignments, networking and access to training.

As a controls engineer supporting GM’s Brownstown, MI Battery Assembly Plant, Kaafarani provides the “brains” behind the automation systems that assemble batteries for the company’s electric vehicles.

Kaafarani is among many manufacturing engineers taking advantage of the courses offered by the TLU. So far, he has completed the TLU’s Robotics and Programmable Logic Controller courses. In addition to strengthening skills supporting his daily job responsibilities, the training broadened his understanding of other applications.

“The TLU instruction has strengthened my skills as a new engineer,” said Kaafarani. “It was a very good experience for me because it applied to my daily job responsibilities in propulsion system robotics and automation. The training also exposed me to other applications outside of my current job scope that broadened my understanding.”

Kimberlea Dungy, PhD.

Technical Learning Lead

Kimberlea Dungy has been with General Motors for 10 years and has spent her career in various roles across the enterprise. She has been an instructional designer at OnStar and a learning and performance manager for General Motors University (GMU). She was responsible for the learning budgets and curriculum/course development for Engineering, Quality and Purchasing.

Dungy is currently the global learning lead for the Technical Learning University. She is responsible for program/college development, skilling and upskilling of Manufacturing technical and non-technical learning at the TLU.

“The future of GM is so exciting because we’re building the foundation now. Individuals who are a part of our organization want to stay; they want to do better. They see individuals moving up in the organization that look like them. I am so excited that I have the ability to help them in their learning.”

About GM’s Technical Learning University

The TLU brings GM’s developing technologies, upskilling and reskilling of the manufacturing workforce under one roof. Based on an initiative that began in 2017, its mission is to improve the technical ability of GM skilled trades workers and salaried manufacturing engineers at the Global Technical Center campus in Warren, Michigan. Since its inception, the umbrella program has trained thousands of GM employees. Both salaried and hourly programs are designed to allow students to continue to perform their “day jobs” while participating in a series of Monday-Friday training periods at TLU.

TLU is a technical training umbrella encompassing several programs, including:

Electrical Apprentice Program: More than 300 skilled trades electricians across multiple GM facilities have participated in this program, featuring 15 to 20 rotations in the electrical apprentice robotics lab
Upskilling of Employees: Job responsibilities of skilled trades workers and manufacturing engineers are constantly evolving as our production equipment becomes more technologically complex. The TLU helps to resolve these challenges through hands-on training with state-of-the-art automation and new skills students can refine at their home plants.
Controls Engineer College: Launched in 2020, this program provides instruction on troubleshooting a vehicle body shop cell, among other high-tech subjects.

Ensuring our workforce has the tools needed to succeed in a rapidly transforming world can help us define the future of mobility. And robust employee training can help provide a manufacturing competitive advantage for both our company and our workforce.

To learn more about GM jobs and career opportunities, visit the General Motors talent acquisition page.