Ohio-based Youngstown State University (YSU) and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), also known as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), yesterday announced intentions to establish a partnership to launch an electric vehicle (EV) workforce training and innovation center.
The center would focus on helping the nascent EV industry build and grow a sustainable workforce specializing in advanced manufacturing, energy storage and other integrated technology solutions, such as artificial intelligence, 5G and cybersecurity, Foxconn said in a statement.
YSU and Foxconn would develop short and long-term strategies, including the establishment of a training and innovation facility in Lordstown, Ohio, where Foxconn owns a factory for EV manufacturing, Foxconn said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
“Leveraging our manufacturing strengths, we will redefine contract design and manufacturing services within the automotive sector,” Foxconn chief product officer Jerry Hsiao (蕭才祐) said, adding that “Foxconn is proud to have the opportunity to work with YSU to meet the demand for a highly skilled workforce of the future.”
The US Department of Energy earlier this year commissioned YSU to conduct a national and regional labor market assessment of the energy storage industry for EVs.
YSU and Foxconn hope the center will have a nationwide reach in the US and can have a strong economic impact on the region and beyond, YSU president Jim Tressel said.
“Now is the time to break down geographic and institutional silos to provide workforce solutions that accelerate the ability for industry, academia, government and workforce organizations to come together and more quickly deploy resources and strategies to address industry workforce needs,” Tressel said.
Jennifer Oddo, the executive director of workforce education and innovation at YSU, said that there is a need for a national talent pool to accelerate the adoption of programs, such as registered apprenticeships, stackable industry credentials and new applied learning models that address ever-changing industry needs.
“A national hub will help break down barriers and access to educational programming, create greater awareness of opportunities and leverage standardized best practices that can be deployed across any geographic footprint,” she said.
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