Britishvolt signs collaboration agreements to power up the UK battery skills agenda.
Battery technology pioneer, Britishvolt, the UK’s foremost investor in battery cell technologies and associated R&D to develop homegrown intellectual property, is looking to shape the battery skills landscape through a strategic collaboration with Northumberland College and the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre.
To support the energy transition, which will need low carbon batteries at its core, many new skills are required across the battery production process and Britishvolt will work with Northumberland College and the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre, to nurture the Manufacturing Associates and Technicians throught their core apprenticeship training.
Katie Sloggett, Britishvolt Head of Learning & Development, said:
This is a fantastic opportunity to work within our local communities and help generate the skills required for Britain to play its part in the next industrial revolution.
“These partnerships will initially create opportunities for apprentices at levels 2-4, in time forming part of a wider electrification skills pathway towards higher-skills, up to and including level 8 (PhD).”
“Both Northumberland College and the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre will link to Britishvolt FutureGen Foundation, connecting into hard-to-reach communities and driving up the aspirations and skills of the many.”
“I’m very excited for the boost for Northumberland and West Midlands.”
“These agreements, alongside the broader technical training programme, will ensure that we have the people and skills that we need for the 3,000 direct highly-skilled jobs (and another 5,000+ indirect wider supply chain roles). Building the batteries that will power our electric vehicles for a cleaner, greener future.”
Britishvolt Battery Research Video
As well as training Britishvolt apprentices, Northumberland College will be supporting BV FutureGen Foundation, the charity created by Britishvolt which aims to help build a better future for local communities through providing entry level, gateway qualifications into STEM and renewables employment, as well as inspiring our next generation of scientists, engineers and climate advocates.
The arrival of Britishvolt in south east Northumberland is going to have a massive positive impact on the local area and its economy and we’re delighted to be partnering with Britishvolt to help recruit new talent and develop their workforce through apprenticeships.
The college will initially provide training for entry-level apprentices at Britishvolt – operators on the production line and engineering technicians.
Ahead of the Gigaplant starting up production, a pilot engineering technician apprenticeship programme will start this September.
Apprenticeship opportunities will be shortly made available on the BV careers and National Apprenticeship Service websites.
Iain Nixon, Vice Principal Partnerships and Commercial, for Education Partnership North East, which incorporates Northumberland College, Sunderland College and Hartlepool Sixth Form.
David Grailey Managing director of MTC Training, said:
MTC Training has developed a reputation for producing work-ready apprentices of the highest calibre.
“They have access to the very latest in engineering technologies, but importantly, they are schooled in the basics of business, and gain an understanding of the responsibilities of being an employee, an appreciation of how business works, and an understanding of the importance of customers. Our apprentices are winning awards and the word is spreading,” he said.
He added, “MTC Training’s apprentices are exactly what industry needs to fill the high-tech jobs of the future as industry moves toward a net-zero environment. Our apprenticeship shape our learners to be fully-rounded apprentices capable of filling the most demanding of positions.”
The MTC was founded by the University of Birmingham, Loughborough University, the University of Nottingham and TWI Ltd. The MTC’s industrial members include some of the UK’s major global manufacturers.
The MTC aims to provide a competitive environment to bridge the gap between university-based research and the development of innovative manufacturing solutions, in line with the Government’s manufacturing strategy. The MTC is part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, supported by Innovate UK.
Alex Burghart, UK Government Minister for Skills, said:
The UK is leading the way in supporting cutting edge green industries and it is brilliant to see apprentices take their rightful place at the forefront of our green skills revolution.
“This deal proves what is possible when colleges and companies work together to meet the needs of learners, local communities and the economy, and I would encourage all colleges to follow Northumberland’s example.”
Britishvolt: Power with Purpose
The Northumberland Gigaplant – Britishvolt’s first large, full-cycle Gigaplant in the UK – will have a total capacity of over 38 Gigawatt Hours by the end of the decade and will produce enough cells far in excess of 300,000 electric vehicle battery packs per year, intended primarily for use in the automotive industry.
The development is a major boost for Northumberland, and the UK, delivering around 3,000 direct skilled jobs and another 5,000-plus in the associated supply chains.
Britishvolt’s collaborations with academia, industry and private enterprise will also help transition the UK from fossil fuels to a low carbon, battery-based electric future.
Britishvolt has already confirmed MoUs with Lotus Cars and Aston Martin Lagonda, which, alongside other commitments to be announced shortly, have cumulative demand in excess of 7GWh in 2024 and 2025, and set the stage for the full 38GWh factory capacity that will be supplied annually from its Gigaplant site in Northumberland.
The release of an official A-sample battery cell to customers, which is scheduled in 2022, will help to further accelerate commitments.
Britishvolt is one of the fastest growing battery technology companies in Europe and globally. The company is also in discussions with the Canadian Government regarding its expansion plans in the country.
About Britishvolt
Battery pioneer and technology innovator, Britishvolt, is focused on development of next-generation battery cell technologies and associated research and development.
It is dedicated to developing the future of electrified transportation and sustainable energy storage, producing best-in-class, low-carbon, sustainable, responsibly manufactured lithium-ion battery solutions. Not all batteries are created equal.
Her Majesty’s UK Government announced on January 21, 2022, its support for Britishvolt from its Automotive Transformation Fund delivered by the Advanced Propulsion Centre.
Britishvolt acquired battery cell developer and manufacturer, EAS, in May 2022, that will allow it to develop and scale up its larger 46xx high-performance cell formats and get them to customers quicker and more efficiently. The deal is subject to completion and any regulatory approvals.
Britishvolt believes that low carbon, sustainable, responsibly manufactured battery cells can help positively change the planet. The time has come to transition from fossil fuels to clean, renewable, low carbon electricity. The world deserves a clean air future for all.
About MTC
The MTC (Manufacturing Technology Centre) is established to prove innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in an agile environment in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions.
The MTC houses some of the most advanced manufacturing equipment in the world, creating a high quality environment for the development and demonstration of new technologies on an industrial scale. This provides a unique opportunity for manufacturers to develop new and innovative processes and technologies.
Highlights:
- Battery pioneer Britshvolt has signed a strategic partnership with Northumberland College and the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre, to co-develop syllabus and access technical training for apprentices for both locations, with the first trainees starting in September 2022
- Britishvolt’s transformational plans for the Northeast and UK, with its first full-scale Gigaplant, are powering ahead, levelling up the Northeast and creating [c]3,000 direct jobs, and around [circa]5,000 in the wider supply chain, largely down to its collocation strategy
- Britishvolt recently announced exciting plans for a scale-up production centre in the epicentre of the automotive industry located at Hams Hall, West Midlands, creating what it calls a “Battery Corridor” – linking the Northumberland site with the UK’s automotive heartland
- The Gigaplant will build enough cells each year for well over 300,000 electric vehicle battery packs, equivalent to [c]25% of current UK vehicle manufacture, securing Global Britain’s position on the sustainable battery production map.
READ the latest Batteries News shaping the battery market
Britishvolt signs collaboration agreements to power up the UK’s battery skills agenda, June 16, 2022
