EV Workforce Training Academy

As the manufacturing industry makes the shift to clean energy, we must accelerate our efforts to prepare our existing workforce and the next generation for the rapidly evolving electrification space. Manufacturing is looking to fill half a million jobs, which is expected to grow to approximately 2.1M by 2030. Together, we can all play a part in building a sustainable workforce for the future. With already more than 120,000 jobs in clean energy and 28% growth of jobs in the clean transportation sector—the region’s fastest-growing sector in 2021—Illinois is outpacing the national growth projections for jobs in clean energy and electric vehicle manufacturing, but we must upskill the current workforce and train a new generation in order to meet this demand.

What is the EV Workforce Training Academy?

This EV Workforce Training Academy will be working to fill the gap with skilled workers by both upskilling the current workforce and developing training and curriculum for the next generation of clean jobs. As you know the State of Illinois has granted $21.3MM to Richland Community College and the City of Decatur to work in conjunction with TCCI to develop this facility under our roof in Decatur IL. We will be a major EV Workforce Training Hub for the State of Illinois that will serve Illinois Manufacturers across the state. We have identified three major skill competencies that the EV Workforce Training Academy will be building: Advanced Manufacturing, CNC Machining, and Computer Science Engineering (software/hardware development). The partnership between TCCI and Richland Community College + Enrich™ will accelerate the clean energy plan and reduce instability of local workforce development infrastructures as we build job training programs, certificates, stackable credentials, apprenticeship programs, and 2 + 2 programs that will provide incentives within the region and throughout the state. Students will have the opportunity to participate in STEM pathway programs with the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, Northern Illinois University, and the University of Illinois Springfield. Additional partnerships are being built across the Illinois Innovation Network as we work to integrate a culture of excellence with holistic student success. This collaboration will ensure workforce curriculum needs meet the job needs in Illinois, where the state’s manufacturing industry has an employment multiplier of 2.7, meaning that for every 10 jobs directly created by manufacturers, another 17 are created elsewhere in Illinois. Through the partnership with TCCI and our Illinois Public Higher Education Institutions, we can ensure that graduates have the skills and knowledge required for the jobs of tomorrow in the workplace.

How can you Partner?

The EV Workforce Training Academy will demonstrate a new model for public-private partnerships that pushes us further, faster and alleviates workforce shortages in the electrification industry. We welcome your partnership as we build the EV Workforce Training Academy, pathway programs and curriculum platform with the State of Illinois and our educational partners across Illinois. As a trusted OEM partner, we invite you to contact us for integration into the program either through adjunct faculty opportunities, curriculum advisory committee, or employee utilization as you look to upskill your current and future workforce.

Construction on this academy will begin in the coming days with a plan to begin enrollment in August 2024. For more information or if you are interested in being a partner, please contact Kara Demirjian Huss at ksd@tccimfg.com.

Download our EV Workforce Training Academy Prospectus

SOURCES: Iea.org / Epa.org / Clean Jobs Midwest 2022 Report / Illinois Manufacturers’ Association