DOE and Argonne launch training hubs to boost battery technology jobs across the US
The Argonne-managed Battery Workforce Challenge Program aims to promote workforce development and ensure economic growth and sustainability in the clean energy sector.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently unveiled its Battery Workforce Challenge Program, a comprehensive initiative aimed at bolstering the U.S. workforce in the rapidly expanding areas of battery technology and electric vehicles (EVs).
Managed by DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory, a leader in battery research and development, the program is setting up regional workforce training hubs across the nation. These hubs will focus on addressing critical skill gaps and providing reskilling and upskilling opportunities for current workers in the industry. These efforts align with the recent increase in clean energy jobs, which grew by 4.2% last year, adding significantly to the national economy, according to DOE’s 2024 U.S. Energy and Employment Report.
The Sustainable Transportation Education & Partnerships (STEP) department at Argonne is leading the charge and announced its first hub will be piloted in Michigan. Through key strategic partnerships between Argonne and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Society of Manufacturing Engineers SME PRIME, University of Michigan-Dearborn, and Henry Ford College, the Michigan Battery Workforce Pilot will ramp up workforce pathways for the battery industry and bolster Michigan’s leadership in STEM talent development.
Investments totaling more than $23.6 million from DOE and industry sponsors including Stellantis, Samsung SDI America, and others, aim to train up to 14,000 workers through the Battery Workforce Challenge Program — creating a robust pipeline of skilled workers essential for advancing U.S. leadership in battery technology and clean energy.
DOE and Argonne will also be working with partners to develop comprehensive battery and EV training and educational content for the training hubs and pilot a battery manufacturing career pathway in high school Career Technical Education courses across the state of Michigan.
Kristen Wahl, Argonne director for STEP, emphasizing the potential impact of the program, said:
The Battery Workforce Challenge Program creates an ecosystem of universities, community colleges, vocational and secondary schools as well as government, industry, labor, and non-profit partners,
These collective efforts will help build and train a diverse domestic workforce and promote job creation for battery and EV technicians, electricians, skilled workers, and engineers, ensuring economic growth and sustainability in the clean energy sector.
Earlier this year, Argonne signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the MEDC to develop sustainable and innovative solutions for decarbonized transportation and industrial processes while promoting workforce development and future mobility systems planning in the state. The partnership is spurring new partnerships between the organizations. As part of the Michigan Pilot, DOE will provide $200,000 in corpus funding to establish as state-of-the-art Battery/EV Technical Center at Henry Ford College to develop a skilled workforce that meets Michigan’s rapidly growing demand for battery technology employees. MEDC will also award $200,000 to the University of Michigan-Dearborn to establish a state-of-the-art, undergraduate-level, battery-focused curriculum focused on battery design, assembly, testing and modeling.
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DOE and Argonne launch training hubs to boost battery technology jobs across the US, source
