Bloomington-Normal could soon be home to a second state-supported manufacturing training academy — this time based at Rivian.
The first one opened at Heartland Community College two years ago. Heartland’s $17 million Advanced Manufacturing Center is the permanent home for the college’s electric vehicle and energy storage program, including the State Farm EV Lab that helps train workers for electric automaker Rivian and elsewhere.
Now, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity [DCEO] says a second manufacturing training academy, or MTA, will be placed on Rivian’s sprawling campus in west Normal. Rivian makes its electric trucks, vans and SUVs in Normal. It is McLean County’s second-largest employer.
“Rivian will soon have a second MTA here on site that aligns seamlessly with the one at Heartland,” Lisa Clemmons-Stott, chief business attraction and development officer at DCEO, said during a visit to the Rivian R2 plant on Tuesday.
There was no timeline or cost available for the second MTA.
Added a DCEO spokesperson: “Looking ahead, with additional support from DCEO, Rivian will collaborate with community colleges across the region to launch an onsite manufacturing training academy at the company’s facility in Normal to further deepen the workforce pipeline. Additional details are forthcoming.”
Heartland officials confirmed they’ve been working with Rivian on a proposal that would have the company do onboarding and skills testing, and then those employees would come to Heartland’s facility for classes. Everything that translates into college credit or certifications would fall into Heartland’s bucket, officials said.
MTAs stemmed from the state's 2019 economic growth plan, designed to be a link between manufacturers and the skilled workforce they need. So far, the facilities have focused on what the Pritzker administration calls "priority industries," such as advanced manufacturing, and clean energy production and manufacturing.
Pritzker's administration in January announced $24 million in grant funding to establish six new MTAs.
