By Kyle Shelton, CTS Director
With ever-growing opportunities and a clear need for electrification education and workforce development, the Center for Transportation Studies is excited to serve on the steering committee for a new U of M effort called the Center for Electrification Opportunity (MN CEO).
Founded by the College of Science and Engineering’s Technological Leadership Institute, MN CEO is an industry-driven initiative that aims to bring together industry, academia, and government to increase economic competitiveness in the face of international competition for companies and jobs in electrification. With support from founding industry members such as Toro, Design Ready Controls, Polaris, and ThermoKing, and early stage funding from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, MN CEO has hit the ground running.
The center is working to develop tailored curricula around electrification topics that will help prepare students and upskill existing employees to fill positions of high need across industries. These pathways will ultimately span the educational spectrum, from community and tech college courses, to four-year degree programs, and finally to continued training for existing professionals.
To launch these efforts and to share the range of opportunities that students at every stage can look to MN CEO and its partners to provide, the center hosted its inaugural Electroposium on October 9. Attended by several hundred people and opened by Governor Tim Walz, the event highlighted the industry appetite for well-trained workers across electrification applications and showed the interest from students to learn more about these opportunities.
Prior to the afternoon event, steering committee representatives met to discuss ways to broaden MN CEO’s work through additional education and workforce funding opportunities. Facilitated by long-time CTS partner and MN CEO steering committee member The PLUM Catalyst, the morning discussion was both a springboard into the afternoon’s public event and the foundation for further strategic development of MN CEO’s programming. Stay tuned for more in the months to come and let CTS know if you are interested in being connected to the effort.