Batteries - Energy Academic Group
NPS Battery Workforce Development
As the United States pursues a carbon-free infrastructure, the importance of energy storage technologies, or batteries, has gained traction. Batteries require a large volume of minerals, frequently rare earth, or strategic minerals, that must be extracted from sub-surface mines or repositories. There is a lack of expertise within the United States, which has been years in the making and extends throughout the battery value chain. This systemic deficiency in understanding ranges from mining to refining to the final application in the field and even through to the recycling of waste products of both production and end use. Each one of these gaps, as well as the aggregated deficiencies, has the potential to become a national security vulnerability.
This project covers both new and continuing thrusts within NPS’ ongoing efforts in research, outreach, curriculum development, and training programs within the broader DoD energy security field. This proposal also expands these efforts beyond NPS to support the continuation of ongoing energy related research and the delivery of professional, technical or vocational, and research-based, institutionally accredited instruction.
The work will seek to identify areas where targeted teaching and degree programs, as well as just-in-time education and workforce development can further energy capabilities and capacities, as well as U.S. national interests.
GOALS
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To conduct a thorough gap analysis that encompasses: battery education and training availability and adequacy; strategic mineral supply chain training and implementation from discovery through recycling; workforce development.
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To organize a Battery Workforce Advisory Group of subject matter experts from Government, academia, and industry.
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To create a plan that enhances national battery and strategic mineral educational and industrial readiness.
POCs: Dr. Arnold Dupuy, arnold.dupuy@nps.edu & Dr. Mary J. Sims, mjsims@nps.edu
Related Battery Workforce Activity
U.S. DoE Battery Workforce Initiative
The purpose of this industry-driven, government-facilitated initiative is to speed up the development of high-quality training, starting with existing examples to develop consensus on core training needs, and then develop training for use by companies and local training providers. The initiative will:
- Convene battery industry organizations to cooperate in the development of training by sharing non-proprietary requirements for high-demand occupations.
- Engage training experts from manufacturers, labor, education, government, and other organizations to participate in facilitated workshops that quickly distill common skills and abilities needed in each industry segment and accelerate decision making.
- Translate those needs into educational and on-the-job training requirements, forming the basis for training materials and guides.
The initiative includes employer-based testing and validation programs that will test the effectiveness of draft training for high-priority job positions/responsibilities identified by the initiative.
New Energy New York (NENY)
New Energy New York (NENY) is a comprehensive ecosystem of project initiatives that support the establishment of a U.S. hub for Battery Innovation, Manufacturing, and Workforce Development in upstate New York; made possible by a coalition of academia, non-profit, government, and industry.
Coordination
The Battery Workforce Development team’s mission is to help train and educate individuals to better discover, mine, refine, deploy, and recycle strategic minerals and continue to instruct individuals in associated technologies to enact advanced battery solutions.
Phase I(a) Concept: Concurrent and complementary, but potentially duplicative efforts by other organizations, may be underway during the period of performance of this proposal. Therefore, the NPS team will conduct a preliminary assessment of similar projects underway in the battery workforce development space.
Document Library
This is the repository of documents created and discovered through the efforts of this working group.
PARTNER WITH US
We welcome new partnerships across our project. If you or your organization are interested in getting involved, contact us.
Our Partners
International Battery Power Conference: The International Symposium; April 9-11 2024; Münster, Germany
Exhibitors and sponsors - BATTERIETAGUNG 2023 (battery-power.eu)
41st Annual International Battery Show
International Battery Seminar | March 12-15, 2024 | Orlando, FL
The Battery Show North America Oct 8-10, 2024
North America’s largest advanced Battery event | October 8-10, 2024 (thebatteryshow.com)
Society for Mining Metallurgy and Exploration (SME)
FGIM | Forum on the Geology of Industrial Minerals - Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (smenet.org)
MINEXCHANGE SME Annual Conference & Expo - Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (smenet.org)
Extraction Meeting
13th Annual Battery Safety Summit
Battery Safety Summit | November 6-7, 2023 | Tysons Corner, VA (cambridgeenertech.com)
23rd Annual Advanced Automotive Battery Conference
AABC - Advanced Automotive Battery Conference | December 11-14, 2023 | San Diego (advancedautobat.com)
Lithium Safety Battery Safety Workshop