Voltge Valley of Ohio Develops Manpower for The EV Industry

Jun, 2021 - By SMI

Local leaders are now taking steps for making sure that there would be sufficient amount of qualified workers for filling new positions.

Job vacancies in the auto industry are coming back to Mahoning Valley in Ohio, with the growing of a new cluster for manufacturing electric vehicles. Local leaders are now taking steps for making sure that there would be sufficient amount of qualified workers for filling these new positions. A job fair is being hosted by Youngstown State University on Wednesday, June 16, which will happen virtually for emerging companies of electric vehicle, technology, energy storage, along with other employers in the region. This school is even introducing a program “skills accelerator” for helping in training the workers.

Inspite years of layoffs, still Ohio ranks 2nd only to Michigan within jobs producing automotive parts and 3rd nationwide for jobs of motor vehicles manufacturing. The Department of Energy, in January, declared a $1 million project to help Youngstown State and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory set up an energy storage workforce training center. The Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce is dynamically recruiting increased companies within the supply chains. Energy Innovators of BRITE has an increasing practice of e-mobility, also maker of auto parts Aptiv has a research center for charging the electric vehicle within this area

Training the people who have already lost nice-paying jobs offers added hurdles. Those having mortgages and families may have already taken 1 or 2 different jobs of low-pay for helping the survival of their families. Paid apprenticeships could help, however families might still require funding for helping through transition. At the spectrums other end are individuals who would lose assistance of public if they earned above menial wage. The state policy even sends the message as investments are being considered. Recent moves of legislature supported fossil fuel and utilities, interests, discouraged growth of renewable energy, and threaten the growth further within Ohio’s wind and solar industries.