Veterans pursuing civilian careers in automotive retail now have a new pathway at Walser Automotive Group, where the company’s on-the-job sales training program is officially eligible for GI Bill^® benefits.

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Dominic Tolkinen, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Customer Specialist at Walser Automotive Group, is the first employee to benefit from Walser’s newly GI Bill®-eligible sales training program.

The designation allows eligible veterans to receive financial support while training for a full-time sales career, bridging the gap between military service and civilian employment.

It’s a benefit that Customer Specialist Dominic Tolkinen is embracing.

Tolkinen, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served as a Lance Corporal and CBRN Defense Specialist, joined Walser in June 2025.

"Making GI Bill benefits available is a statement of who Walser really is and what they stand for,” Tolkinen said. “And just like in service to our country, at Walser we are driven by a commitment to protect, support, and serve with integrity.”

The GI Bill approval builds on Walser’s veteran employment efforts, including its Beyond the Yellow Ribbon company designation in 2025 and a goal to hire 50 veterans annually.

While the GI Bill is commonly used to cover college tuition costs, the benefit can also support veterans during on-the-job training. Walser worked alongside its employee resource group, Veterans at Walser, and the Minnesota’s Department of Veterans Affairs to certify its 12-month, 2,000-hour training program as eligible for both the federal and Minnesota GI Bill.

The program combines classroom instruction, self-guided learning, workshops, and hands-on dealership experience. The structured approach prepares sales consultants for high-performance sales roles and long-term leadership opportunities.

“Walser making their sales training benefit-eligible creates a bridge from service to purpose,” said Tolkinen. “Walser does more than thank their veterans for their service: they invest in their lives, their families, and their next chapter.”

As a result, veterans like Tolkinen and other eligible beneficiaries enrolled in Walser’s sales training program can now receive GI Bill benefits in addition to military-focused benefits such as military training pay and differential pay for active deployments. Together, these benefits provide financial stability and help ease military transition.

“The word ‘thank you’ often feels insufficient for our veterans’ sacrifice, and making our sales training program benefit-eligible is an actionable way to show gratitude and support to our veterans,” said Kristen Baker, Walser’s Director of Training.

Baker said the program was redesigned in 2024 to center on the learner experience and support multiple learning styles.

“Many dealerships drop new hires off on the show floor with no support or guidance. This is a structured, compassionate training program that not only builds skills, but careers as well,” Baker said.

In 2026, Veterans at Walser plans to implement a veteran mentorship program designed to connect new veteran hires with experienced veteran mentors who can provide guidance and support during a critical transition period.

GI Bill^® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/.

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"Making GI Bill benefits available is a statement of who Walser really is and what they stand for."