DOE’s New $1M Effort to Support a Battery Manufacturing Workforce in the Midwest

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is embarking on a new initiative to build and train a workforce capable of supporting the advanced technologies necessary in battery manufacturing. Last week, DOE announced it is partnering with Youngstown State University in Ohio and DOE’s own Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee to build a $1 million Energy Storage Workforce Innovation Center to serve as a training center based in the Midwest.

DOE has chosen to partner with these specific entities to build on the momentum already seen in the North-East region of Ohio, which is referred to as “Voltage Valley” due to the number of investments made in the area by the electric vehicle industry. Workforce development is a key pillar of success for DOE and the new innovation center will help to supply a capable workforce in an area where there is great demand. The training center will support the battery and EV manufacturing industry, which are focus technology areas for DOE.

In a press release, Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette commented that the U.S. is “in a period of tremendous advancement in battery technologies, presenting new opportunities for electric vehicles and energy storage systems. With these new technologies and growing industries, it is essential that we prepare a workforce that will lead the next generation of energy storage technologies into practice. Our investment will help continue the region’s reputation of meeting the nation’s manufacturing needs.”

For more information, please visit: https://www.energy.gov/articles/department-energy-partners-youngstown-state-university-and-oak-ridge-national-laboratory.