OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — NCM Associates Inc. and Hire Heroes USA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating job opportunities for U.S. military veterans and their spouses, have launched a joint effort that will assist veterans seeking careers in the retail automotive sales and service industry with free training and career information resources from NCM.

NCM Associates provides in-dealership consulting services to retail automotive dealers throughout the U.S., as well as management training through its NCM Institute Center for Automotive Retail Excellence, and its Benchmark for Success 20 Groups program, a forum for non-competing car dealers and dealership managers to compare business operating performance and strategies for improving the profitability of their dealerships.

“NCM has a long history of helping car dealers grow their sales and profitability through our retail automotive training and consulting programs,” said NCM President and CEO, Paul Faletti Jr. “Our clients are car dealers who are well known for their generous support of military families in their communities. Hire Heroes is about helping troops grow professionally by preparing them for post-military careers.”

NCM will make its virtual training platform, NCM OnDemand, available at no charge to registered Hire Heroes veterans interested in learning about the knowledge and skills required to be successful in retail automotive sales and service careers, including new and used vehicle sales, F&I sales, service, parts and body shop management, and general dealership management.

The NCM OnDemand training center also gives the veterans access to training programs not directly related to the auto industry, but which will help them sharpen their personal communications and customer service skills for application in any career they ultimately choose to pursue.

“Hire Heroes USA has built a national reputation of excellence for its success at helping unemployed veterans find jobs,” said Hire Heroes CEO Brian Stann. “Our successful placement rates are due in large part to the support and guidance we offer. Our team is comprised of military veterans — many with combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan — and business veterans. That mix of military and civilian experience has proven essential to effectively training veterans in the skills of self-marketing and then networking them into good jobs with great companies.”

The hallmark of the program is a personal approach where each veteran receives dedicated assistance from a highly-trained staff member in order to help them overcome barriers to employment, officials said. “With NCM’s assistance, we’ll now be able to offer our veterans another professional development tool and access to a network of car dealers across the country offering their support in further educating veterans on the day-to-day operations and career opportunities in their local communities,” Stann added.

The new service offering for Hire Heroes veterans is expected to launch on Veteran’s Day. In the meantime, NCM and its virtual training platform service provider, LightspeedVT, will be preparing NCM OnDemand so veterans taking advantage of the free resource will have a very customized, engaging experience as they work their way through the many training modules and information resources available.