The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development has approved a $100,000 grant to identify regional needs in the New River Valley for upskilling the current workforce with technical credentials for electric vehicle and automated vehicle (EV/AV) manufacturing and related jobs.
The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) and the VTTI-led Dock to Door Coalition (D2D) will identify regional needs for upskilling the current workforce with technical credentials for electric vehicle and automated vehicle (EV/AV) manufacturing and related jobs in the area of Region 2.
The listed region consists of the cities of Covington, Lynchburg, Radford, Roanoke and Salem and the counties of Alleghany, Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Botetourt, Campbell, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski and Roanoke.
According to the latest figures, the autonomous manufacturing sector is the second largest industry cluster in Region 2, making it well-positioned to meet the growing national demand.
Overall, the U.S. Electric Vehicle Market is projected to grow from $671.47 billion in 2024 to $1,891.08 billion in 2032, and the automated truck market size was valued at $356.9 billion in 2024 and will exhibit a growth rate of 16.2% between 2025 and 2034.
The project will cover Pulaski, Montgomery, and Roanoke counties, which will serve in an advisory role and provide expertise from existing efforts including the CTE Academy, GOTEC, and the Additive Manufacturing & Advanced Materials (AM2) Tech Hub.
Richmond Vincent, vice chair of the GO Virginia Region 2 Council, said this plan will prepare workers for electric and automated vehicle manufacturing. “The project will create stackable credentials and strengthen industry partnerships to meet this growing demand in the EV/AV sectors,” he said.
The planning project team will review literature and EV and AV workforce programs, interview regional and national subject matter experts, and identify workforce education gaps and opportunities. Results will be shared in a report and a strategic plan for implementation.
The project is spearheaded by Kaitlyn Bedwell, a team leader within the supply chain, transportation, automation, and resource sustainability team at VTTI. She said the motivation for the project was driven by the growing need to prepare the EV and AV workforce of the future for new regulations and policies, additional technology maintenance and inspection skills, and licensing requirements within the transportation and autonomous manufacturing industries.
“This project seeks to address the loss of mid-level roles in the region by developing a program to build regional industry strength in an emerging field while concurrently developing a competency model for micro-credentials. The implementation of the workforce pathways program strategic plan will also address retention of postgraduates by strengthening the relationship of the company with students, employees, and prospective employees through a targeted and invested approach,” said Bedwell.
Staff report
