If you’re following the rapid rise of electric vehicles (EVs) in the United States, you’ve probably noticed conflicting reports about the EV boom. Some news outlets report strong demand while others focus on the backlash from those who prefer traditional gas vehicles. So what’s the real story?
According to a recent Environmental Defense Fund article, “new analyses…show strong growth in both electric vehicle (EV) sales and manufacturing investments in the U.S.” For example, “[i]n the last three years, the U.S. has had more private investments in EV manufacturing than any other region of the world – an amount that has more than tripled since 2021,” and “domestic EV sales in 2023 outpaced almost every prediction that industry experts made prior to that year.”
The Environmental Defense Fund’s Ellen Robo summarizes the state of EVs in the U.S. as follows: “Despite some recent suggestions to the contrary, actual data show the U.S. markets for electric vehicles are flourishing. Sales are better than experts had very recently expected they would be, and the U.S. is now leading the world race for new EV manufacturing investments.”
How significant are EV investments in the U.S.? Since 2021, there has been a whopping $167 billion in EV investments in the U.S. The Environmental Defense Fund points out that much of this investment is being driven by “substantial changes to U.S. policies supporting EV manufacturing and jobs, including both production and consumer tax credits under 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act.”
These EV investments are being made in a wide variety of projects, from new vehicle manufacturing facilities to electric battery plants. Those familiar with the ongoing labor shortage plaguing industries across every sector may be asking the same question: where are these facilities going to find the highly skilled workers they need to function efficiently and productively?
These facilities will demand a large number of workers with specialized skills, which will in turn require both upskilling of current workers and training current students with the advanced skills they’ll need to be successful in the jobs on the horizon.
The experts at Amatrol have been working hand-in-hand with industry and educational institutions for years to design training programs featuring eLearning curriculum and hands-on experience with trainers equipped with industrial components workers will encounter on the job.
When it comes to EV training, Amatrol is once again leading the way. On September 11, 2023, Amatrol hosted the State of Ohio Electric Vehicle Workforce Strategy meeting at its headquarters in Jeffersonville, Indiana, to help chart a course for preparing the Ohio workforce for the jobs that EV battery and vehicle manufacturing facilities will soon bring. Click here to watch a video about that meeting.
What Amatrol has learned is that, in many ways, the development of EV battery and vehicle manufacturing facilities shares similarities with semiconductor manufacturing facilities. They both represent precision manufacturing that requires advanced automation skills.
Visit Amatrol online to learn more about its EV Manufacturing Program. You can also download Amatrol’s EV Manufacturing Program brochure. For more information about how Amatrol can help you upskill your current workers, contact an expert at Amatrol today!
