Birmingham Battery Manufacturing Skills Pathway accelerates UK gigafactory workforce development | News

January 2026

University leads the charge towards the UK's battery manufacturing ambitions

By Claire Huggins

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As the UK Gigafactory Commission鈥檚 report 鈥楤ritain鈥檚 Battery Future鈥� identifies that 鈥榯he United Kingdom is at a critical stage in its pursuit of global leadership in automotive and battery manufacturing鈥�, the Birmingham Battery Manufacturing Skills Pathway (B-MSP) is celebrating a big step forward in the drive towards the UK鈥檚 battery manufacturing ambitions.

Delivered over five days at the dedicated learning facility within our Centre for Sustainable Construction, December saw attendees from Jaguar Land Rover, Atlas Copco and Autocraft graduate from the Advanced High Voltage (HV) Battery Assembly and Gigafactory Operations course - the first, fully accredited, advanced course of its kind in the UK.

"Batteries are no longer just a tech issue or an energy issue 鈥� they are a national strategic imperative. The UK cannot afford to remain dependent on foreign supply chains for such a vital component of our economic and energy future."

Lord Hutton of Furness Chair of the UK Gigafactory Commission

Launched in March 2025, the B-MSP is the result of expert collaboration with key employers that include Jaguar Land Rover, Microsoft, Rockwell Automation, Atlas Copco, Pi-Kem, Delta Cosworth and Yazaki.

鈥淭hese courses offer a win-win situation for employers and employees alike,鈥� explains Professor Rosa Wells, Dean for STEM.

鈥淩educed onboarding time means the workforce presents with real-world competence and the technical expertise that directly aligns with their production environment. Talent is retained and accessible pathways are created for new talent to come through and recruitment to thrive.

鈥淔or employees, they鈥檙e assured that not only are they achieving nationally recognised City & Guilds qualifications that employers trust, but through the courses鈥� practical experiences, they鈥檙e developing the skills and confidence to effectively contribute from day one.鈥�

Battery technicians, assembly operatives, manufacturing engineers, and anyone working in the electrification and advanced manufacturing sectors will benefit from courses that not only offer the knowledge and skills to future-proof the UK鈥檚 battery supply chain, but boast industry-standard equipment and immersive technologies, that bring the theory to life. The courses offer practical, hands-on experiences, and learners can expect rigorous training that mirrors real-world production needs.

鈥淎t Atlas Copco, we are committed to staying at the forefront of innovation and supporting the rapid evolution of SMART manufacturing technologies within EV and battery gigafactory operations,鈥� said James McAllister, General Manager, Atlas Copco UK.

鈥淔rom a workforce development perspective, this course aligns perfectly with our strategic goals: building a highly skilled team that can support customers in the transition to sustainable energy solutions.

鈥淲e highly value this type of specialised training and look forward to continuing to invest in our people to drive innovation and operational excellence.鈥�

UK Gigafactory Commission report shows graduate, Molly Masters of Atlas Copco, on the front cover

The statistics speak for themselves

According to data analysis from The Faraday Institution, 1.4 million electric vehicles will be needed by 2040, with a further 70,000 employees needed to meet that demand. Also in March 2025, the government鈥檚 Department for Energy Security & Net Zero released its Assessment of the clean energy skills challenge, stating:

鈥�The scale of the net zero workforce transition will require rapid reskilling and presents a significant opportunity for good job creation鈥he energy efficiency and low carbon heating sector will likely see the largest increase in jobs by 2030, with further significant growth in low-carbon energy, CCUS and hydrogen, and surface transport sectors such as EV manufacturing.鈥�

Recognising and understanding sector-specific needs, the B-MSP courses offer structured pathways that support workforce development, career progression and innovation in an easy-to-manage, scalable way. Businesses can reap the rewards of customisable, employer-focused training solutions that reduce onboarding time and equip workers with the specialist skills required for battery assembly, gigafactory operations and advanced manufacturing.聽

Our graduates said:

鈥淚 found the programme gave me a much clearer understanding of EV battery assembly and the challenges manufacturers face, which has already helped me feel more confident when talking to customers about battery-related applications,鈥� said Molly Masters, Inside Sales Representative for Atlas Copco UK.

"Since completing the course, I feel better equipped to identify opportunities for our products in battery assembly lines and have better insights and understanding of the value of our solutions in this industry.鈥�

Isaac Stock from Autocraft added:

鈥淚t was beneficial interacting with people from different companies and seeing how they do things in their workplace and the potential of implementing their techniques and processes into my workplace.鈥�

Applications are now open for the B-MSP鈥檚 courses.

Apply today or to find out how we can scale the training to suit your needs, please email: batteryproject@ucb.ac.uk

Both courses are running on the following dates:
Monday 2- Friday 6 February 2026
Monday 2- Friday 6 March 2026
Monday 13- Friday 17 April 2026