Earlier this year, C2ES hosted a regional roundtable in Detroit, Michigan, to bring together companies, policymakers, educators, nonprofits, and community leaders to identify opportunities for workers and communities in the growing electric vehicle (EV) industry. In the roundtable, participants explored the shifting needs of the “future mobility” industry. This developing industry includes mobility technologies from electric vehicle and battery production, to charging infrastructure construction and maintenance, and micromobility solutions like electric bikes and scooters.
Several key themes emerged from the discussion, including the need to:
- Analyze and prepare to meet the shifting needs of the automotive industry, by identifying the skills and certifications employees need to succeed in the new electrified vehicle industry, mapping the existing skills and resources of the current workforce, and developing strategies to bridge the gaps between the two.
- Coordinate and expand outreach and education initiatives for all levels, including by supporting workforce development efforts for early- and mid-career workers, either already in the automotive industry or entering it for the first time, as well as by expanding experiential learning opportunities for PK-12 students. Participants also highlighted the need to coordinate across the many different workforce development efforts in the state, and to invest in national standardization efforts to provide third-party validation to industry certification programs.
- Support the “whole worker,” including by improving access to essential services like childcare and public transportation, and investing in other “placemaking” efforts to make Michigan a more attractive place to live and work.
You can read more insights and recommendations from the discussion in our latest policy brief here.
Michigan moves forward
Since our roundtable, federal, state, and local leaders have continued to convene dialogues among employers, workforce development providers, and policymakers to coordinate efforts and build out programming. Shortly after the roundtable, the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Labor partnered with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity to designate Michigan as an “EV workforce hub.” With the designation comes technical assistance and enhanced coordination. Announced alongside several other workforce hubs nationwide, the EV workforce hub in Michigan is the only state-wide designation—highlighting the importance of the whole-of-state approach to developing the burgeoning EV industry.
Another success for Michigan’s EV workforce was in this summer’s FY 2025 state budget, which appropriated funds to the newly-created Community & Worker and Economic Transition Office. First launched in early 2024, the office will collaborate with community leaders, workforce partners, and businesses to help workers access high-quality jobs in EV manufacturing and other clean energy industries, while helping employers transitioning from the internal combustion engine industry to retool their manufacturing facilities and train their employees. To date, the office has hosted a series of roundtables to hear from government, community, labor, and industry leaders to help develop its strategy.
On the road ahead
We followed up with several participants from the February roundtable to learn what they have accomplished since the convening and hear where they’re headed in the coming months.
A common theme we heard from participants was that many skills needed for the future mobility industry can also be applicable across many other industries, meaning workforce development initiatives to serve the EV industry can also prepare workers for lifelong careers. Some participants highlighted opportunities for workers to support major, recently announced contracts for submarine construction for the Navy in Michigan, which could utilize skills like welding, computer-aided design, and manufacturing skills. These skills overlap with the needs of EV manufacturing and design, and the build-out of EV charging infrastructure across the state.
As the EV and battery industries have continued to evolve, participants also highlighted a heightened focus on suppliers in addition to final assembly. They pointed to shifting opportunities for suppliers throughout the value chain to serve emerging EV and other clean energy needs.
Finally, many of the participants we spoke to shared continued optimism, but remained cautious about the near-term scale of the workforce opportunity. They noted that many major EV and battery facilities are being built or retooled, meaning there may be a lag of several years between today’s conversations about workforce training and the ultimate job placement opportunities. They highlighted the need to continue engaging younger students, especially PK-12 learners, to foster excitement about EV careers and develop necessary “soft” skills like creative problem solving and project management alongside “hard” skills like robotics and computer programming.
What’s next?
There are a lot of exciting developments on the horizon for Michigan, including announcements of federal and state funding, as well as state agency programs. C2ES will continue our regional roundtable series on the electric vehicle supply chain and workforce with a series of convenings this fall and into next year. The next roundtable will take place in South Carolina and will explore opportunities to secure a regional EV battery supply chain.
