DOE invests $5M to create lithium-battery manufacturing workforce initiative
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has partnered with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the AFL-CIO to introduce a new national workforce development strategy for lithium-battery manufacturing. According to the agency, the DOE will invest $5 million to support up to five pilot training programs that are designed to advance workforce partnerships between industry and labor for the domestic lithium battery supply chain. The program is intended to bring together manufacturing companies, organized labor, and training providers to build a foundation for a broad national workforce strategy.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said, “American leadership in the global battery supply chain will be based not only on our innovative edge, but also on our skilled workforce of engineers, designers, scientists, and production workers. President Biden has a vision for achieving net zero emissions while creating millions of good paying, union jobs — and DOE’s battery partnerships with labor and industry are key to making that vision a reality.”
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler added, “President Biden has made the creation of good union jobs a cornerstone of his climate strategy. We applaud DOE for being proactive in pulling labor and management together as the domestic battery industry is being established, and we look forward to working with DOE and DOL to develop high-road training standards for the entire battery supply chain.”
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About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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