Following Ford’s decision to scale back its planned investments into electrification, the future Ford EV battery plant known as BlueOval Battery Park Michigan has been downsized with an expected annual output of 20 GWh versus the originally planned 35, and the plant will now employ 1,700 workers when it begins operations in 2026, versus the 2,500 FoMoCo previously expected to hire. This means that the future Ford EV battery plant will also have a smaller footprint than originally planned, but will still provide an employment boost in the surrounding area of Marshall, regardless. Aside from joining the Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance (MAEDA), Ford has also been ramping up its recruiting efforts to fill those 1,700 jobs, and now, it has launched a new campaign aimed at students, according to WWMT News.
Ford is partnering with MAEDA and the Kellogg Community College on this new effort, which aims to recruit students for the future skilled labor positions. Students that attend Marshall Public Schools will be eligible for a new workforce development grant, and will also be able to participate in a variety of learning activities in the classroom that all involved parties hope will encourage them to take an interest in Ford’s open positions – or other nearby companies – now, or in the future.
“That is a huge opportunity for Marshall students and really people in the region, getting a great pathway working for Ford,” said MAEDA CEO James Durian. “Skilled trades provides the opportunity to you do welding or electrical engineering. People don’t know that they can build a career pathway with some of our local manufactures and you can make pretty good money.”
“It’s good for our local companies and manufacturers to get the talent they need to grow,” Durian added. “Being able to build a career pathway with local manufacturers so companies like Tenneco and Autocam Corporation and others are looking for that talent and we are looking to close the skills gap.”
We’ll have more on Ford BlueOval Battery Park Michigan soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.
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