Get ready for the Energy Storage of the Future

The Advanced Energy Storage (AES, or battery) industry is growing in West Michigan and Muskegon. While, the opening of the fortu PowerCell plant in the Muskegon area, and the production of battery modules won’t take place at fortu until Fall 2013, Muskegon Community College is preparing to partner with fortu to ensure training for the workforce needed at the plant will be in place.

MCC is working towards the creation of certificate program in battery production requiring 28 to 32 credits and an associate’s degree in Advanced Energy Storage (AES) requiring 62 to 64 credits, at least one third of which would be industry-specific coursework. The courses and content as part of these programs is being developed in partnership with fortu.

In the mean time, in response to communication with fortu, MCC is aware that the company will want workers trained in business communication, electronics and quality control which are core classes already offered by the college, such as BCOM 101, TMAT 101, BUS 127, and QC 101. Taking these core courses now may put students in a better position to be hired as part of fortu’s planned 125 hires as part of Phase I.

For the most up to date information on developments related to training in AES please call Jeff Stipes in the MCC Industrial Manufacturing Technologies department at (231) 777-0335, or Dan Rinsema-Sybenga in the Lakeshore Business and Industrial Service Center at (231) 777-0569.
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