New batteries, new skills, new jobs

HOLLAND, Mich. (WOOD) - If you're one of the people who got up every morning for years, packed your lunch and went to the factorty, you know times have changed. Manufacturing has been decimated by the changing economic climate.

But high tech battery plants offer hope for workers and for Michigan. With the groundbreaking at the LG Chem facility in Holland, people want to know what they have to do to get one of the 400 jobs by 2013.

"They're going to need to learn about hazardous materials," said Julie Parks, the Work Force Training Director for GRCC. "They're going to need to learn robotics, they're going to need to learn about advanced energy systems and what that means."

GRCC is geared up for the jobs expected to be created by LG Chem and the three other battery component makers who have plans to build in West Michigan.

Many of the jobs will be on the line and will pay $11-$14 per hour, the low end of what manufacturing jobs once paid.

"You get ready by re-learning basic chemistry, and what energy storage systems are. And sure, we're talking about cars but it also applies to computers, it applies to wind and solar storage. Big opportunities in this area for people," she told 24 Hour News 8.

"They're going to need to learn about hazardous materials," she added. "They're going to need to learn robotics, they're going to need to learn about advance energy systems and what that means."

The GRCC six-month training program begins this Fall. Parks said even if you're not interested in working inside the plant, there are other opportunities and you need to prepare now.

"If you have a small business and you think you can serve these companies, you need to start to get involved today, and start to figure out how to do it."

On the Net:

GRCC retraining programs

Muskegon Community College retraining programs