The third wave of graduates from the General Motors Training Center were honored in Dammam by the presence of Prince Mohammed Bin Fahad, Governor of Eastern Province, at a ceremony earlier this month. Working in partnership with the Technical Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), GM's Saudization training initiative was designed to train young Saudi nationals for a career in the motor industry and empower a new generation with new abilities and skills. The program has expanded significantly over the past three years and 280 students have graduated to date, while there are currently 482 students in training. Adnan Alkhamis, regional training manager - General Motors Middle East, said: “General Motors is strongly committed to training Saudi nationals in the automotive field and to using only the most up to date methods. These latest graduates of the Saudization program should feel a great sense of accomplishment and pride. They have taken the first step in achieving their potential to become the leaders of the Kingdom's motor industry.” By the end of 2009, 1,122 students will have enrolled between GM training centers in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam since the program launched in 2005. The program itself has expanded since its inception and now covers more subjects than ever, including paint and body work, service advisers, and parts advisers, as well as technician training in 24 specific modules. General Motors Corp., one of the world's largest automakers, was founded in 1908, and today manufactures cars and trucks in 34 countries. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 235,000 people in every major region of the world, and sells and services vehicles in some 140 countries. In 2008, GM sold 8.35 million cars and trucks globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's largest national market is the United States, followed by China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia and Germany. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com. In the Middle East since the 1920s, GM's vehicle brands sold in the region are Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, HUMMER and Saab supported by a unique set of customer
