EV Jobs Academy

The EV Jobs Academy is an employer-led collaborative comprised of over 100 stakeholder partners to identify the electrified vehicle and mobility-related occupational skill needs while developing and scaling postsecondary credentialing programs utilizing a turn-key online shared learning platform for MODACs’ 32 colleges and universities statewide. Click here to view the EV Jobs Academy employer led-collaborative list (PDF). 

The EV Jobs Academy grant was awarded by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Employment & Training and and Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to the Southeast Michigan Community Alliance (SEMCA) Workforce Intelligence Network (WIN) in 2022.

Led by the Michigan Alliance for Greater Mobility Advancement (MAGMA), EV Jobs Academy includes dedicated collaboratives representing the private and public sector developing data-driven talent pipeline solutions for EV and mobility on the same five-year timeline as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Seven Collaboratives Working Together

Developed by WIN Executive Director Michele Economou Ureste, the EV Jobs Academy Strategy includes seven employer-led collaboratives working together to strengthen and upskill Michigan’s EV and Mobility workforce.

Mobility Talent, Defense and Outdoor Recreation Vehicles, Smart Cities and Communities Fleet (SC2FC) collaboratives are supported by Research, Recruitment, and the Education and Training Academy project teams developing outreach strategies and comprehensive asset maps of scalable training to build the talent pool of technicians and engineers required to develop and repair electrified vehicles.

The EV Jobs Academy collaboratives, project teams, and Academy includes:

1. Full Collaborative led by Michigan Alliance for Greater Mobility Advancement (MAGMA) and the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO).
2. Southeast Michigan Mobility Talent Collaborative led by the Detroit Chamber of Commerce and MICHauto. 
3. Defense and Outdoor Recreation Vehicles Collaborative led by the National Advanced Mobility Consortium (NAMC) with support from Michigan Technological University and UP Michigan Works!
4. Smart Cities and Communities Fleet (SC2FC) Collaborative led by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG).
5. EV Jobs Academy Education & Training Project Team facilitated and sector strategy development from leading experts including the MAGMA Governing Board member from the Center for Advanced Automotive Transportation (CAAT), Michigan Occupational Deans Administrative Council (MODAC), Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA), Michigan Tech University (MTU), and WIN community college partners with support from the SEMCA WIN Advance Michigan Center for Apprenticeship Innovation (AMCAI). Once completed, the curriculum will be posted on the Michigan Workforce Training and Education Collaborative website.
6. Research Project Team led by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), WIN Research & Data Team, W.E. UpJohn Institute For Employment Research, and Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG). 
7. Outreach and Recruitment Project Team led by WIN Michigan Works! Agencies partners.

Serving Michigan’s Workforce

Initially, EV Jobs Academy will serve approximately 700 individuals through rapid and accelerated training and re‑training for emerging technologies in connected, autonomous, lightweight, hybrid, electric, alternative fuel, and other advanced vehicle technologies. Following the launch of EV Jobs Academy’s first phase, it is anticipated the numbers of trained and retrained individuals will continue to grow significantly.

“MiREV (EV Jobs Academy) is an investment in Michigan’s current and future workforce, and it supports long-term growth for our state’s employers in the automotive mobility and electrification industry,” said Stephanie Beckhorn, director of LEO’s Office of Employment and Training. “The vital contributions made by MiREV (EV Jobs Academy) partners will help connect job seekers with good paying career pathway opportunities while helping employers address their critical workforce needs.”

By working together, industry leaders are paving the way for economic development by providing career pathways to expand customized talent solutions and strategies to address skill gaps, career advancement, turnover, and retention.

Industry stakeholders, employers and education partners are the driving force to building this highly-charged collaborative. To be successful, WIN is inviting all mobility sector and industry leaders to participate in the EV Jobs Academy initiative by emailing info@winintelligence.org.