Stellantis North America Chief Operating Officer announced the Battery Workforce Challenge, a part of the Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan that seeks to make Stellantis an industry champion in the fight against climate change by achieving carbon net zero emissions by 2038. The Battery Workforce Challenge will train future engineers and build a skilled workforce in the battery industry. The competition, which will follow real-world industry milestones, will provide project management, communications, teamwork, and problem-solving skills to the participants. The Argonne National Laboratory will manage the competition, which will support advanced battery innovations and the development of the next generation of battery researchers and professionals. Other initiatives, including a national Career-Connected Learning Management System, will complement the challenge.
U.S. Department of Energy and Stellantis Launch Battery Workforce Challenge
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Stellantis have jointly introduced the Battery Workforce Challenge. The initiative aims to establish a diverse talent pipeline capable of supporting North America’s battery industry. This includes a three-year engineering competition for college students, vocational training, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education for youth, and career and technical education.
To address the current climate crisis and help achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the DOE has set an ambitious target. This involves designing and developing advanced batteries for electrifying the transportation and energy sectors, and a highly skilled domestic workforce to meet the demand for positions throughout the electric vehicle (EV)/battery industry.
The government and industry partnership, managed by Argonne National Laboratory for the DOE and co-sponsored by Stellantis, will build the next generation of engineers, technicians, and workers. This will address the growing demand for a domestic EV/battery workforce, promoting American leadership in the global battery supply chain based on innovation and a skilled workforce.
According to Michael Berube, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation and Fuels at the U.S. Department of Energy, “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.”
Starting in the fall of 2023, the Battery Workforce Challenge will commence with an advanced battery design and development student competition. Universities and vocational schools from across North America will be invited to participate in designing, building, testing, and integrating an advanced EV battery into a future Stellantis vehicle. This initiative will help foster a diverse talent pipeline, delivering training and education for high school graduates and vocational and transitional workers. It will ultimately produce a pool of trained engineers, workers, and technicians capable of driving North America’s battery industry forward.
Stellantis Launches Battery Workforce Challenge to Address Climate Change
Stellantis North America Chief Operating Officer, Mark Stewart, has announced the Battery Workforce Challenge as part of the Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan. The plan aims to drive the company to become an industry champion in the fight against climate change and reach carbon net zero emissions by 2038. The Battery Workforce Challenge will train future engineers while helping to build a highly skilled and productive workforce in the battery industry.
The competition will follow real-world industry milestones focused on battery design, simulation, controls development, testing, and vehicle integration and demonstration. Participants will also learn valuable project management, communications, teamwork, and problem-solving skills that will provide an unparalleled educational experience and prepare them for future careers throughout the battery industry.
Additional workforce and education initiatives will complement the challenge, including a national Career-Connected Learning Management System. It will 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.
Argonne National Laboratory will manage the competition, which supports both advanced battery innovations and the development of the next generation of battery researchers and professionals. Eleven teams are expected to participate in the Battery Workforce Challenge. The challenge is a great opportunity for college and vocational students to experience high-impact collaborations, said Paul Kearns, director at Argonne National Laboratory.
Argonne National Laboratory, the nation’s first national laboratory, seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America’s scientific leadership, and prepare the nation for a better future.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information about the Battery Workforce Challenge, please visit BattChallenge.org.
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