ARIZONA – Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, announced that the new Future48 Workforce Accelerator to be launched in Pinal County will be in support of the region’s growing battery manufacturing industry.
Launched in partnership with Pinal County, Central Arizona College, LG Energy Solution, the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), McCarthy Building Companies, Inc, Design Systems Inc (DSI) and Architekton Architects, the accelerator will offer workforce training focused on the manufacturing process for lithium-ion cylindrical batteries used for electric vehicles and other technology applications. It will also provide hands-on training on the LGES equipment manufacturing process and safety processes, and will incorporate virtual reality and simulation technology for workforce training.
“Arizona’s job growth has been unstoppable, and this new partnership is another sign that we have no intention of lifting our foot off the accelerator,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “Our community colleges are critical institutions to the success of our state, and I’m excited for Central Arizona College students to take advantage of this exciting new opportunity. I want to thank LG Energy Solution for partnering with us and for continuing to support our efforts to strengthen Arizona’s workforce.”
The partnership will include the construction of a new 19,850-square-foot building at Central Arizona College’s Superstition Mountain Campus in Apache Junction. The project is expected to be completed in December 2024. Once operational, the accelerator will train hundreds of students at a time for careers in battery manufacturing.
“Central Arizona College is pleased to be a partner in creating a world-class learning environment where future students will learn the latest LGES manufacturing technology from industry experts,” said Dr. Jackie Elliott, President/CEO of Central Arizona College. “We are dedicated to providing workforce development opportunities that benefit not only Pinal County, but also the state of Arizona and our Nation.”
The accelerator is part of a $30 million investment to build up to six advanced manufacturing training facilities across the state in partnership with local community colleges.
Such a facility will assist the semiconductor accelerator launched in collaboration with Maricopa Community Colleges, as well as the rural accelerators in Yuma and Kingman.
The Future48 workforce accelerators are modeled after Pinal County’s successful Drive48 center. A collaboration between ACA, Central Arizona College, Pinal County, the City of Casa Grande and Lucid, Drive48 features multiple assembly robots and individual training rooms to prepare workers for jobs in automotive manufacturing. Since 2021, more than 2,400 students have graduated from Drive48.
