Have you shopped for an automobile lately? With the economy in flux and uncertainty seeming to be the only constant, many consumers have put off major purchases recently. However, those venturing out to their local car dealership will find more choices than ever before.
Are you interested in driving an electric vehicle (EV)? Or is a traditional gasoline engine more your style? Perhaps a hybrid that combines the two would be the perfect fit. Whatever your preference, automakers offer more models today than at any time in the past.
Given the political climate and the current administration’s decisions that have seemed to target the EV industry, some consumers might be reluctant to take a chance on an EV or a hybrid. Are EVs the future of automobiles? Or were they a flash in the pan that will disappear completely in a few years?
Despite the recent efforts to curtail EV incentives in the United States, experts believe that EVs remain the future of automobiles, particularly with ongoing demand from Europe and Asia. Even U.S. automakers, while scaling back some EV plans, remain committed to EVs as a growing market.
For example, a recent IndustryWeek article reports that “General Motors (GM) announced it will invest $30 million to train employees at its Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Kansas, which will soon add production of the gas-powered Chevrolet Equinox and a Buick compact SUV.”
“The plant currently makes the Chevrolet Bolt EV. This workforce initiative will focus on upskilling employees and cross-training them to support both electric vehicle and internal combustion engine manufacturing.”
Fairfax Plant Director Michael Youngs noted that “[t]he investment in people isn’t just about preparing for the production of new vehicles; it’s about giving our people the opportunity to build a future their families can be proud of.”
Investment in workforce development is nothing new for GM. “In the last five years, GM has invested $500 million in U.S. manufacturing workforce training programs and apprenticeships.” The latest investment “adds to GM’s broader talent development strategy, which includes investments in K–12 STEM/STEAM education, tuition assistance and training at its Technical Learning University in Warren, Michigan.”
As GM and other automobile manufacturers continue to invest in EV projects, more and more skilled workers will be needed to fill thousands of jobs in these facilities. The workers in these facilities will need to stay on the cutting edge of technical skill development. A focus on continual skill improvement will require both upskilling of current workers and training current students with the advanced skills they’ll need to be successful in these jobs.
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. Amatrol has 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.
Amatrol has also held an EV Summit Meeting with MichAuto and other representatives in the EV industry to work together to develop the next generation of EV training systems and curriculum. Partnering with these experts allows Amatrol to ensure it’s developing the training systems workers really need to thrive.
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!
