GM, Ford partner with state and universities to recruit future EV workforce

State leaders are launching what they call the nation's largest program to attract and train people to work in the electric vehicle and mobility industry, saying by 2030 Michigan will lead the nation in EVs and could offer 300,000 jobs related to the industry.

The governor's office and Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) unveiled the talent recruitment program Wednesday. In it, the state has partnered with some of the biggest universities in the state and 15 employers, including General Motors and Ford Motor Co., to offer up to $10,000 in scholarships to as many as 350 top technology students. Also, MEDC will train thousands for production jobs in the EV and mobility industry, which includes electric cars, buses, motorcycles, trucks, future air taxis or electric aerospace and any related technology that helps move those things. The average salary for many of these jobs across the fields is $75,000-plus.

“We’re ready to build on our proud legacy and automotive heritage here in Michigan to usher in a greener, more sustainable and electrified future in 2023 and beyond," said Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II in a statement. "The Michigander EV Scholars program and our historic talent attraction campaign will help get us there and ensure our state continues to keep our foot on the accelerator driving the future of mobility and electrification.”

Michigan is in a position to help the United States become a global EV competitor through increased manufacturing capacity, research and development and the state’s ranking as first in the nation for mobility-related patents, MEDC said in a statement. Last year, the state attracted over $14 billion in EV and battery investments.

Jobs, jobs and more jobs

As part of the job push, MEDC will oversee a new, one-year pilot program to fill 3,000 jobs this year, said MEDC Chief Talent Solutions & Engagement Officer Kerry Ebersole Singh.

MEDC will recruit EV and mobility people with its partners — which include 15 major Michigan employers and the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, Ferris State University, Macomb Community College and Schoolcraft College as well as Michigan Works! agencies across the state.

“Starting today, we’re asking Michiganders and all non-Michigander job-seekers to let MEDC's Talent Action Team help match you with Michigan EV and mobility careers and training,” Singh said. “Our goal is to help fill EV-related jobs and also train thousands of workers in the first year by delivering professional development programs where people improve their skills and competencies that align with in-demand roles.”

The 15 Michigan employers working with the state, Michigan Works! and the universities include:

• BorgWarner auto supplier

• Bosch auto supplier

• Dana Inc. auto supplier

• Denso auto supplier

• Ford automaker

• GM automaker

• Gentex Corp. auto supplier

• LG Energy Solution battery company

• Magna auto supplier

• Mahle auto supplier

• Nexteer auto supplier

• Our Next Energy battery technology company

• Shape Corp. auto supplier

• Toyota automaker

• ZF engineering company

Michigan residents and nonresidents can now apply for EV and mobility jobs and training on MEDC's website www.michiganevjobs.org.

“Our goal is to help fill EV-related jobs and also train thousands of workers in the first year by delivering professional development programs where people improve their skills and competencies that align with in-demand roles," Singh said.

Here are more future jobs to come

Last October, Our Next Energy, headquartered in Novi, said it would invest $1.6 billion to build a gigafactory in Van Buren Township that is creating 2,112 jobs, to be called ONE Circle, said Deeana Ahmed, the company's vice president of strategy, policy and sustainability.

Ahmed said Michigan's talent pool factored into its decision to invest in the state.

“The decision by our innovative company to keep our headquarters in Novi and establish a new manufacturing plant in Wayne County shows the world that Michigan is the place to build the future,” Ahmed said.

LG Energy Solution, which is GM's partner in its battery cell joint venture called Ultium Cells LLC, announced last March that it is investing $1.7 billion in its current Holland location in west Michigan to expand the plant's capacity to produce battery components as Michigan’s EV industry grows. The expansion will create 1,200 jobs when it's complete next year.

Ultium Cells is also spending $2.6 billion to build a battery plant in Lansing that will create 1,700 jobs when it is complete late next year.

A scholarship if you agree to work for a company

MEDC's plan includes up to $10,000 in scholarships to as many as 350 top tech undergraduate students at the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Michigan Technological University.

Those who receive a scholarship must sign a letter of employment with a participating company and commit to staying on the job for 12 months in Michigan, Singh said. These scholars will help fill the employers’ annual demand for 500 to 600 electrical engineers and software developers.

The participating companies are these eight of the 15: Bosch, Denso, Ford, LG Energy Solution, Mahle, Our Next Energy, Shape Corporation, and ZF. The others are promoting jobs to non-students who are currently working or interested in EV-related careers.

The Michigander EV Scholars campaign is intended to build a network of university students interested in an EV or mobility sector career. The scholarships will be distributed over spring, summer and fall semesters as participating students receive offers aligned with the employers’ timelines for bringing new staff on, Singh said. The process for applying for the program will vary by campus, and applicants should check with their respective school's program administrator, she said. For more program details, visit the www.michiganev.org.

Michigan on top trying to get talent

The program unveiled Wednesday is one phase of an overall $34 million talent attraction and retention strategy the MEDC is introducing this year to help in-state businesses fill jobs.

The campaign will start with a heavy focus on in-state retention and recruitment, Singh said, while also targeting some key out-of-state markets before transitioning to a national campaign. The $34 million initiative will be funded with $115.6 million that was allocated to the MEDC last year after the state Legislature, in a bipartisan vote, approved it.

Singh said MEDC has identified the leading states in EV manufacturing, and found that Michigan, Georgia and Kentucky were leaders, followed by Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee.

“With our legacy of automotive innovation and forward-thinking approach toward investment attraction and talent development, Michigan is on track to be in the driver’s seat on the road to 2030 and beyond,” Singh said.

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Contact Jamie L. LaReau at jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Auto companies partner with state and schools to build EV workforce