INDUSTRY LEADERS NEEDED IN THE MICHIGAN REVOLUTION FOR ELECTRIFICATION OF VEHICLES (MiREV) EMPLOYER-LED COLLABORATIVE
A collaborative of more than 100 industry stakeholders, employers and education partners are driving the state’s advanced mobility talent development thanks to a $5 million Michigan Revolution for Electrification of Vehicles (MiREV) grant – and the group is looking for additional partners in its mission to support and accelerate workforce training in emerging technologies for advanced mobility.
The MiREV grant was awarded by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Employment & Training to the Southeast Michigan Community Alliance (SEMCA) Workforce Intelligence Network (WIN) this past January.
“I applaud Governor Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity for supporting our state’s mobility industry with a $5 million grant for the MiREV Academy. As Co-Chair of Michigan Alliance for Greater Mobility (MAGMA), the public-private partnership made up of original equipment manufacturers, tier suppliers, educational institutions, workforce organizations, and state government, I eagerly endorse programs that align with MAGMA’s mission—to provide rapid skill growth in emerging technologies for advanced mobility.” said Erika Nielsen, MAGMA Board of Directors Co-Chair and Director of Global Government Affairs for BorgWarner.
The MiREV employer-led collaborative includes industry stakeholders in electrification, electric vehicles and componentry, including batteries and supply equipment such as chargers and supporting infrastructure.
“During a time of transformation in our industry, it is critical that access to electrification occupation skills through timely training and re-training be available to students, displaced, and incumbent workers,” Nielsen said. ”We are excited to see how MiREV can support or accelerate the existing initiatives within individual employers while scaling workforce training across the state. Through this collaboration, we are helping to position Michigan for the future of automotive mobility.”
MiREV is designed to scale existing electrified vehicle and mobility postsecondary training curriculum to 32 institutions for higher education statewide.
“MiREV 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 partners will help connect job seekers with good paying career pathway opportunities while helping employers address their critical workforce needs.”
Initially, MiREV 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 MiREV’s first phase, it is anticipated the numbers of trained and retrained individuals will continue to grow significantly.
“The most exciting part about this collaborative is the number of partners that have come together to support this initiative,” expressed Michele Economou Ureste, WIN Executive Director. “The MiREV strategy is on the same five-year timeline as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for providing funding for EV (electric vehicle) charging stations, government EV fleet conversion, broadband, and other related infrastructure improvements. MIREV aims to develop the talent pipeline while these infrastructure upgrades are underway. We are honored to be leading this initiative through the Michigan Alliance for Greater Mobility Advancement partnership.”
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.
“There are not enough EV technician jobs in the general market, including independent shops,” said Ben Cruz, Director of the Center for Advanced Automotive Technology at Macomb Community College. “Most of the OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) of EVs only had one model and it was difficult to have a constant need for those technicians, but that is changing. The reason it is changing, is because there are more EV models being produced by the OEMs, and the rate of EV sales vs internal combustion models is rising.”
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 MiREV initiative by contacting Laurie Huber, WIN Project Manager via email at Laurie.Huber@winintelligence.org.
For additional information about WIN and its partners, please visit: www.WINintelligence.org.
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ABOUT WORKFORCE INTELLIGENCE NETWORK FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN (WIN)
The Workforce Intelligence Network for Southeast Michigan (WIN) is a collaborative effort between ten community colleges and seven Michigan Works! Agencies, in partnership with numerous other organizations, to create a comprehensive and cohesive workforce development system in Southeast Michigan that provides employers with the talent they need for success. WIN covers a 19-county area, including Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Hillsdale, Huron, Ingham, Jackson, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Sanilac, Shiawassee, St. Clair, Tuscola, Washtenaw, and Wayne. WIN was founded with the support of the New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan and publicly launched in November 2011 and celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2021.
