LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – The U.S. Department of Energy has launched the Battery Workforce Initiative, a training program aiming to help build a highly skilled workforce for manufacturing plants that are being built across the country.
The electric vehicle battery manufacturing industry has been growing rapidly. In 2019, there were just 3 factories nationwide, now 30 plants are operational or under construction, 6 of those located in Michigan.
U.S. Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm visited Lansing today along with the Secretary of Labor and UAW president Shawn Fain to announce the pilot of a training program called the Battery Workforce Initiative, which is a part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda to accelerate a manufacturing renaissance in communities across the country.
“You can provide incentives for employers to come,” Granholm said. “But if you are not making sure that you have a workforce that’s trained for those jobs, those future-facing jobs, then you will have missed the whole pie.”
Governor Gretchen Whitmer explained that the program’s goals are to bring battery makers together to cooperate on occupational training, engage experts to participate in industry-specific workshops to improve decision-making, and translate industry needs into on-the-job requirements that will be used to create the basis for training materials and guides.
“We can better prepare Michigan workers and employers to lead the future of battery manufacturing. As everyone knows, the auto industry is going through a transition. we know this and it’s important that we continue to lead.” Whitmer said. “As we build these factories, we need to make sure that they can hire and train an effective workforce and that’s why the Department of Energy started the Battery Workforce Initiative.”
Secretary Granholm explained that the United States is expected to double its manufacturing capacity by 2025. She said to keep up with demand, the United States needs a strong supply chain and skilled workforce to produce state-of-the-art, reliable EV and grid storage batteries, which starts with the Battery Workforce Initiative.
