BMW, Universal Technical Institute create program for Ft. Bragg servicemembers to start careers

Friday is graduation day for a half-dozen service members ready to start new careers when they get out of the military.

BMW has teamed up with Universal Technical Institute to provide training for service members to become Certified BMW Technicians. A closer look at the program shows how its changing lives.

There are numerous programs that the military offers to help service members transition into into the civilian world. This training initiative is great for those those who have background as a mechanic.

With the snipe of a pair of scissors, Fort Bragg and BMW are changing the lives of service members who are getting ready to become civilians.

Soldiers from Fort Bragg, Fort Bliss and Marines from Camp LeJeune are graduating from BMW's Military Service Technician Education Program (MSTEP).

SFC Alejandro Cazares is getting out of the Army early next year. He says the program has already changed his life.

"I've been depending on the military to support myself and my family for the last 20 years," Cazares said "After this, I'm not going to be able to rely on that anymore. But with the knowledge that we've achieved, we're all going to be set up pretty well."

All of today's graduates already have jobs at BMW dealerships across the country. The starting pay is about $25 an hour, but we're told within the next several years, all of these graduates will be making more than $100,000 a year in their new roles.

Some of the service members say they're planning to get out of the military and stay in the area. Others say they plan to venture to other parts of the country.