UAW Center for Manufacturing a Green Economy
Programs
Green Workforce Training Initiative
The Center for Manufacturing a Green Economy (CMGE) is a 501(c)(3) organization that was created by the United Auto Workers (UAW) in 2023 with the mission to train and empower a well-trained, mission-driven green workforce as the United States ramps up green domestic manufacturing. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has jump-started the green economy in the United States, but many new investments offer low-wages, limited safety training, and create barriers to support workers' right to organize. This trend is exacerbating a serious shortage of qualified, motivated workers needed to rapidly scale green technology, crimping sectoral growth. Without high-road job standards, manufacturing efforts will be delayed as a result. CMGE is part of a once in a generation opportunity to address these gaps and in tandem build an inclusive green economy that creates shared prosperity.The Center's pilot project is the development of a workforce training program for Sparkz, a lithium ferrophosphate (LFP) battery manufacturer in Sacramento, as part of a labor peace agreement between Sparkz and UAW. The Sparkz program is the first of its kind in the battery industry. CMGE will build a robust and diverse recruitment pipeline from front-line communities, foundational job skills training, wraparound services to support cohorts, and a skills-based apprenticeship for production workers, building on the foundations of the registered Industrial Manufacturing Technician model and the DOE Battery Workforce Initiative. This program will show how to make the green transition a reality. This pilot is already being leveraged by CMGE to build training models across the state with other employer partners in San Bernadino and Stockton, as well as in other parts of the country along the battery supply chain and in other green sectors.CMGE will harness UAWs extensive experience creating quality jobs in manufacturing and its central role in decarbonization. The 2023 UAW contract negotiations with the Big 3 automakers were a seismic event in the struggle for a just transition. The strike brought thousands of EV and battery jobs under union national agreements with strong job quality protections and billion-dollar investments in the retooling of previously closed facilities. UAW also represents workers at the only unionized battery factory in the US - Ultium Cells in Lordstown, Ohio. CMGE is actively utilizing feedback from Ultium workers to inform curriculum. Workers have noted a reliance on short term trainers who lack bilingual competencies, minimal machine training and safeguards, and insufficient health and safety training. The Center also builds on the coalitional strength of UAWs membership and community relationships in Region 6, including 100,000 UAW members alongside labor, climate, community, non-profit, and government partners including Jobs to Move America, Blue Green Alliance, LAANE, and the California Labor Federation.Overview of the Sparkz-CMGE Pilot ProgramInclusive RecruitmentCMGE is actively developing an inclusive and diverse recruitment process that prioritizes opportunities for front-line communities to join the training program and get access to good-paying, union-backed jobs at Sparkz. This includes building relationships with cultural and community organizations, interfaith groups, refugee resettlement agencies, women's support groups, LGBTQ centers, youth collectives, welfare support groups, anti-recidivism organizations, and workforce centers among others. Once relationships are established, CMGE will hold community events with Sparkz where an overview of essential industry / job skills will be presented followed by brief assessments and conversations with potential applicants to match them with suitable occupations. CMGE will then sort applicants, identifying those ready for work or on-the-job training, those who require pre-employment training and those who need extra coaching and support. The process not only refines occupation matching but also informs the preparation for classroom instruction and apprenticeship on-the-job training. Job Readiness Program and Wraparound ServicesOnce recruited, participants will receive a stipend and join a three-part job readiness program: Pre-Apprenticeship Training: Curriculum required for pre-apprenticeship programs including Entry Level Manufacturing Skills (ELMS) courses as well as Manufacturing Skills Standards Council (MSSC) certification, manufacturing health and safety, OSHA10, etc. Soft Job Skills: job expectations, working on teams, communication with supervisors and co-workers, and trust building exercises. Climate Education: empowering prospective workers driving decarbonization about their role in the climate transition with an overview of battery chemistry, battery technologies, battery supply chains, battery health and safety, batteries centrality to decarbonization, the environmental justice history of unions, and the importance of worker rights in the workplace. To support cohorts in this program, particularly those who are systems-impacted or lower income and cannot otherwise afford to attend training, CMGE will also provide wraparound services including tailored childcare support in partnership with community partners, transit support, language services, and coaching/mentoring services in addition to a $2000 stipend. Apprenticeship ProgramCMGE will work with Sparkz to identify the vision and needs of the new workforce - including job titles, wages, hours of operation, pre-employment skills, job readiness attributes, and health and safety concerns. Cohorts from the pre-employment program will then be hired by SPARKZ as registered apprentices going through training adapted from the registered Industrial Manufacturing Technician apprenticeship. This program will be customized to meet the needs of Sparkz as they ramp up their production of Cathode Active Material (CAM), and eventually pack and cell manufacturing. It will also include UAW input based on its skilled trades apprenticeship program at Ultium Cells and in coordination with the DOE Battery Workforce Initiative. To obtain the IMT apprenticeship credentials, apprentices will undergo a combination of on-the-job training with the machines at Sparkz and on-the-job learning supplemented on-site. Apprentices must at minimum successfully complete courses in industrial math and communications, battery technology systems, industrial blueprint reading, OSHA 10, industrial processes, as well as specific curriculum that will be jointly determined between Sparkz and UAW. Apprentices will master on-the job competencies in health and safety, chemical handling best practices, equipment operation, measurement and inspection, product quality, inventory and material processes, and equipment maintenance awareness. The program will also develop working groups amongst cohorts to support program implementation and build trust critical to effective protocols for safety, quality control, and productivity. While this apprenticeship is tailored to CAM production, the fundamentals of the program can be used as a blueprint for other green and advanced manufacturing industries (i.e. other battery components, electric vehicles, semiconductors, renewable energy components, etc.).Accomplishments: In this fiscal year, CMGE hired its executive director to build the organization this included program development, relationship and partner development, fundraising, corporate engagement with employer partners, working with the Chairperson of the CMGE board to develop policies for the board of directors, and hiring staff. The organization has raised 3.5 million dollars, has established training relationships with 3 employers in California, is actively building programs in Arizona and Washington, exploring potential programs at UAW facilitated in Ohio and Kentucky, and is also in the process of receiving a 2-million-dollar grant (over next 3 years) from the Department of Energy to support training efforts. CMGE has also established community partnerships, has developed its first curriculum for pre-employment training and is working with instructors to finalize the pilot Sacramento program.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesAug 1, 2023 – Jul 31, 2024Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$66.7K
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