A new Career Pathways report from the advocacy group Clean Fuels Michigan showed the state is already a national leader in electric vehicle-related jobs.
The report highlighted new careers which do not always require a four-year degree, from E-V technicians to battery manufacturing.
Chase Attanasio, policy manager for the group, said such positions grew more than 10% between 2023 and 2024, with more than 33,000 workers now employed across the industry.
“This is including vehicles like electric vehicles, but also hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell and propane vehicles,” Attanasio explained. “That’s the second most number of workers in the clean-vehicle space nationally, in that job sector.”
Not everyone is convinced the clean energy shift will be seamless, such as The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which cautions the shift may be moving faster than the infrastructure and workforce training needed to sustain it. They maintain America’s EV transformation must go “hand-in-hand with reliable charging infrastructure,” warning without it, the transition could leave both drivers and workers behind.
As the auto industry continues shifting toward electric and alternative-fuel vehicles, Michigan leaders say training and education will be key to keeping pace. Attanasio emphasized Michigan’s future in clean transportation will depend on how well key players work together.
“The success of the transition towards electric vehicles and clean fuels is going to require coordination between industry or education institutions in Michigan and in the public sector,” Attanasio contended.
Clean Fuels Michigan reported new training programs from high school STEM classes to community college certifications are helping students and current workers gain the high-voltage safety and battery-systems skills needed to support Michigan’s growing EV industry.