DOE, Stellantis Prepare Next-gen Battery Engineers

As the world pushes heavily for a more sustainable future, the role of battery technology is becoming increasingly prominent. A challenge with this, however, is that the industry’s current capacity pales significantly compared to the project needs for the future.

 

The U.S. battery workforce is on empty. Image used courtesy of Pixabay

 

Specifically, reports have indicated that the global battery workforce will need to increase significantly to meet many of the worldwide sustainability goals. To address the issue, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently teamed with Stellantis to launch the Battery Workforce Challenge.

 

The Need for a Battery Workforce

The Battery Workforce Challenge is a response to the pressing need for a skilled workforce to meet the increasing demand for lithium-based batteries.

The DOE is heavily invested in creating a more sustainable future and has set the ambitious goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. A major part of this push for greater sustainability is the development of new technologies like electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy to help transition the country from its reliance on fossil fuels. Within this, battery and energy storage systems will become a hugely important and integral part of the equation.

 

The U.S. DOE is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050. Image used courtesy of UNSDSN

 

A recent survey by NAATBatt highlighted that over 200,000 new jobs will be needed in the battery supply chain by 2030 because of this proliferation of battery technology. This number is particularly alarming considering that the current U.S. workforce is only around 20,000 people, ten times less than the target figure determined by NAATBatt.

Clearly, the United States will desperately need a broader and more deeply skilled workforce to achieve its goal of net zero by 2050.

 

Battery Workforce Challenge

To address the need for a broader and more skilled battery industry workforce, the DOE has teamed up with Stellantis to launch the Battery Workforce Challenge.

The Battery Workforce Challenge is a three-year student competition in which up to 11 North American universities will partner with a community college, trade school, or other vocational institution to design, build, test, and integrate an advanced EV battery pack into a Stellantis vehicle. Argonne National Laboratory will manage the competition and aims to provide students with engineering, manufacturing, and battery testing skills beyond traditional classroom learning. Within this, the teams will experience the real-world battery design product lifecycle, including the simulation, controls development, testing, and vehicle integration and demonstration lifecycle stages. 

 

Milestones for the Battery Workforce Challenge. Image used courtesy of the Battery Workforce Challenge

 

Ultimately, the challenge seeks to bridge the skills gap in the battery industry, creating new job opportunities and driving economic growth in the process. The goal is to do this by providing students with hands-on experience with problem-solving and engineering challenges in the battery industry. Additionally, the program hopes to expose students to project management, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills, which will better prepare students for future careers in the battery industry.

 

Building a Battery Workforce

As the U.S. government pushes for greater sustainability, they are acutely aware of the need for a greater battery industry workforce. With the Battery Workforce Challenge, the DOE hopes to provide students with direct exposure to the battery industry and strengthen the growth and development of the future workforce.