Washington, D.C. – The National Governors Association (NGA) and the National League of Cities (NLC) are partnering on a new project to help cities and states prepare workers for job opportunities generated by the expansion of electric vehicle infrastructure.
Supported by the Siemens Foundation’s EVeryone Charging Forward initiative, the “State and Local Collaborative to Support an Inclusive Workforce for the Electric Vehicle Charging Sector” (or EV Workforce Collaborative), brings together Governors’ offices and city leaders to explore strategies to align policy and funding to create pathways to the new EV charging economy for underserved and marginalized communities.
The collaborative’s work kicked off this week in Washington, D.C., with a convening that brought together government, industry, postsecondary, and workforce leaders to identify key opportunities, challenges, and resources to advance the goals of the EV Workforce Collaborative.
The Collaborative’s work will be steered by a National Electric Vehicle Workforce Taskforce, chaired by Stephanie Piko, Mayor of Centennial, Colorado, and Justine Johnson, Senior Vice President and Chief Mobility Officer of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification.
“Investments in infrastructure are frequently seen at the local level,” stated Stephanie Piko, Mayor of Centennial, Colorado. “Members of the EV Workforce Collaborative are dedicated to working with state and local officials to ensure these investments align with the needs of our communities. By fostering partnerships with education, industry, and government leaders, we’re working to build a proficient and prepared workforce, to ensure secure and resilient electric infrastructure for all.”
“City and state leaders welcome the opportunity to work together through the EV Workforce Collaborative to create career pathways in the growing EV industry for underserved and marginalized communities,” said Justine Johnson, Governor Whitmer’s Chief Mobility Officer and Senior Vice President of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification. “Building America’s next generation charging and electrification infrastructure brings the promise of economic growth and job opportunities. By coordinating across local, state and national levels, we can build an inclusive workforce to achieve the full promise of these investments.”
The Collaborative’s goals include:
- Expanding EV education and training programs to reach individuals who are economically disadvantaged or marginalized through comprehensive supports and programming that also addresses non-skill barriers to education and employment, including supporting investment in nationally recognized training standards/certifications that are industry aligned and portable for workers and employers.
- Creating tools and resources for state and city collaborations to address EV charging workforce challenges as well as other clean economy industries.
- Establishing a recognized platform for sharing information between government leaders across federal, states, and local governments to advance programs, policies, and practices that promote an inclusive EV charging workforce.
To learn more about the EV Workforce Collaborative, visit https://www.nga.org/projects/ev-workforce-collaborative/
