Holden employees are in their tenth year of supporting Landcare Australia, the country's largest environmental volunteer movement. Over the past decade, Holden has worked on supporting re-vegetation projects in the vicinity of its major facilities. A recent project (pictured below) involved 60 employees from Holden's Engine Operations who planted more than 900 trees at a former landfill site that has been transformed into inner city parkland. In addition to volunteer support, Holden also provides seven vehicles used to support Landcare's work in different areas of the country.

Brigada Cheyenne is a program that puts our pick-up trucks to work for families in Mexico. Our brigade transports people, goods and building materials to help foster sustainable community development. We partner with several nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that perform preliminary community studies to identify needs for aid. Some of our specific projects have involved providing transportation for people to travel from small towns to cities where they can learn do-it-yourself skills, as well as giving a lift to families who need to travel in order to sell their homemade products.

Boys and girls who live in SOS Children's Villages are now able to travel more easily, thanks to the donation of 100 vehicles by Chevrolet Europe, which is a corporate sponsor. SOS, headquartered in Vienna, provides homes to abandoned or orphaned children by integrating them into a family environment that is supported by an SOS mother and up to 15 other children. Very often these communities are remote and difficult to access by public transportation. Chevrolet's donation helps SOS families better manage the challenges of running a large household. The donations were in recognition of Chevrolet's 100th anniversary and went to villages in Europe, Uzbekistan, South Africa and Israel.

The GM Powertrain facility in Turin is a good stop for anyone who wishes to see that the automotive industry is changing from a male-dominated one. Women increasingly hold many of the top engineering positions in the facility, and the average age of women at the facility is just 34 years old. The growing number of young female employees is attributable to its location on the campus of the Politecnico di Torino, which is Italy's top-ranked university and the alma mater of approximately 60 percent of our Turin workforce.

In China, our largest market in the world, it is imperative that we attract an exceptional workforce and provide them with the support they need to thrive. That support begins with the JumpStart China program for new hires that promotes corporate citizenship and contributes to positive changes within the company. Additionally, a local mentoring program allows senior GM China employees to assist newer ones with their professional development. And employees who wish to develop additional skills can receive financial assistance and/or study leave toward mutually beneficial external education.