The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Stellantis have partnered to launch a new initiative, the Battery Workforce Challenge, to build the next generation of engineers, technicians and workers to address the demand for a domestic electric-vehicle/battery workforce, the company said.
Managed by Argonne National Laboratory for DOE and co-sponsored by Stellantis, the program will include a three-year collegiate engineering competition; vocational training; youth education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM); and career and technical education, Stellantis said.
“American leadership in the global battery supply chain will be based not only on our innovation, but also on our skilled workforce of engineers, designers, scientists, production workers and technicians,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation and Fuels at the U.S. Department of Energy Michael Berube. “This comprehensive workforce program will build an educational ecosystem delivering training and education for high school graduates, and vocational and transitional workers, fostering a diverse talent pipeline of trained engineers, workers and technicians who can charge North America’s battery industry forward.”
Kicking off in fall 2023, the Battery Workforce Challenge includes an advanced battery design and development student competition series that invites universities and vocational schools from across North America to design, build, test and integrate an advanced electric-vehicle battery into a future Stellantis vehicle, program officials said.
“With our Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan, Stellantis is taking a leadership role in decarbonization that will drive us to become an industry champion in the fight against climate change, reaching carbon net zero emissions by 2038,” said Mark Stewart, Stellantis North America COO. “The Battery Workforce Challenge will help train the engineers of tomorrow and is a win-win for Stellantis and the entire battery industry as we address our nation’s toughest energy and mobility challenges by helping to build a highly skilled and productive future workforce.”
Additional workforce and education initiatives will complement the challenge, including a national Career-Connected Learning Management System to provide flexible, accessible, and equitable training for learners across the education pipeline, as well as high school graduates and transitional workers, to connect participants to top jobs from the nation’s leading automotive and battery employers, program organizers said.
Argonne is now accepting applications from colleges and universities to select up to 11 teams that will participate in the Battery Workforce Challenge collegiate and vocational program.
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