DOE invests $5M to create lithium-battery manufacturing workforce initiative
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has partnered with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the AFL-CIO to introduce a new national workforce development strategy for lithium-battery manufacturing. According to the agency, the DOE will invest $5 million to support up to five pilot training programs that are designed to advance workforce partnerships between industry and labor for the domestic lithium battery supply chain. The program is intended to bring together manufacturing companies, organized labor, and training providers to build a foundation for a broad national workforce strategy.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said, “American leadership in the global battery supply chain will be based not only on our innovative edge, but also on our skilled workforce of engineers, designers, scientists, and production workers. President Biden has a vision for achieving net zero emissions while creating millions of good paying, union jobs — and DOE’s battery partnerships with labor and industry are key to making that vision a reality.”
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler added, “President Biden has made the creation of good union jobs a cornerstone of his climate strategy. We applaud DOE for being proactive in pulling labor and management together as the domestic battery industry is being established, and we look forward to working with DOE and DOL to develop high-road training standards for the entire battery supply chain.”
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