Great Lakes Wire

DETROIT, Mich.— On July 6, 2023 , Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined Southeast Michigan Community Alliance Workforce Intelligence Network (SEMCA WIN) and the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) to announce a new Battery Technician certification program at Henry Ford College. The program was made possible by the Electric Vehicle Jobs Academy, which brought together partners at the College, the Michigan Workforce Training and Education Collaborative (MWTEC), and the Educational Programs in Collaboration (EPiC). 

“The Electric Vehicle Jobs Academy is focused on connecting Michiganders with good-paying advanced manufacturing jobs building electric vehicles, batteries, and other automotive components,” said Gov. Whitmer. “The new battery job training program at Henry Ford College will offer Michiganders seeking an in-demand, high-skill career the training and education they need to succeed. By forging effective partnerships, we are shoring up our leadership in mobility and electrification, helping employers fill their workforce needs, and delivering on the goals of ‘Make it in Michigan,’ our comprehensive vision for economic development that focuses on winning projects, investing in people, and revitalizing places. Let’s keep connecting hardworking Michiganders with the education they need to land one of the thousands of good-paying jobs we are competing to bring home.” 

The new battery technology curriculum will help approximately 3,000 Michiganders complete a short-term training certification from community colleges statewide through 2027. The training will help employers participating in the Electric Vehicle Jobs Academy prepare their current and future employees with the wide range of skills they need to succeed in electric vehicle and mobility-related occupations where they will earn an average wage of $30 an hour. The Electric Vehicle Jobs Academy is a partnership between SEMCA WIN and the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. 

 “The WIN Board of Directors and EV Jobs Academy partners have been working together to collect and analyze data identifying the training gaps around EV and mobility. The need for high-quality training curricula has been a focus of the EV Jobs Academy,” said Michele Economou Ureste, WIN Executive Director. “With over 130 partners in the EV Jobs Academy employer-led collaborative, this investment moves us one step closer to training and reskilling the Michigan workforce with electrified vehicle technology at the forefront.”

Henry Ford College has a history of innovation in workforce development, and this new curriculum will prepare our graduates for the careers of the future in transportation and other fields,” said Henry Ford College President Russ Kavalhuna. “This is also a great example of partnerships between public and private organizations and the state working together to establish Michigan as a leader in electrical technology. The EV Jobs Academy and Industry Infinity are forward-looking initiatives, and we are proud to be among the first to invest in this world-class program for our students.” 

In addition to the EV Jobs Academy grant awarded in 2022, SEMCA WIN was awarded a $10 million U.S. Department of Labor H-1B One Workforce grant for a project identified as “Building an Industry Infinity Supply Chain” (Industry Infinity). This project supports curriculum development and training for occupations in transportation, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing. Due to the overlap of eligible occupations of both grants, Henry Ford College was able to acquire the battery technology curriculum through Industry Infinity funds to be delivered on the EPiC Consortium’s participating community colleges with an anticipated launch in Fall 2023.

 Henry Ford College and EPiC procurement of the EIT InnoEnergy Battery Technician curriculum brings certification training statewide to all EPiC Consortium partners. This is the first EIT InnoEnergy partnership in the U.S. 

 “Evolving industries that will drive sustainable progress, such as e-mobility, are facing a significant deficit of skills if they are to scale at pace,” said Oana Penu, Director of the InnoEnergy Skills Institute.

“More broadly, the transition to net zero will require retraining up to 18 million workers around the world. This global challenge requires a global response, and we are able to provide exactly that with InnoEnergy’s Skills Institute. Launched earlier this year, it is designed to combat this growing skills gap and we are delighted to be supporting the roll-out of the EV battery curriculum.” 

 The battery technology curriculum will enhance existing programs and current careers in automotive, maintenance, and repair technicians, electrical and electronics technicians, and mechatronics and serve to upskill incumbent workers with foundational knowledge and skill sets in battery technology. To learn more about EPiC visit www.mwtec.org. 

 “Thanks to Henry Ford College we are able to scale the Battery Technology curriculum through the EPiC platform, which includes 16 Community Colleges in the State of Michigan,” stated Dr. Amy Lee, President of MWTEC’s EPiC Consortium. “The Henry Ford College purchase allows other colleges access to the cutting-edge curriculum.”

 To learn more about the battery technology curriculum or how to scale it, complete an EV Jobs Academy interest form.

 The EV Jobs Academy is designed to provide Michiganders with tuition assistance and supportive services, including “earn while you learn” opportunities through a Registered Apprenticeship, to support and streamline onramps to high-wage, in-demand careers.

 Learn more about the EV Jobs Academy at www.michigan.gov/evjobsacademy.

Original source can be found here