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The US AV Jobs Coalition says autonomous vehicles could create as many as 450,000 jobs over the next 15 years. | Source: US AV Jobs
A group of businesses, nonprofits and advocates from the autonomous vehicle ecosystem have launched the US AV Jobs Coalition. The organization aims to provide research on the economic impact of autonomous vehicles (AVs).
The coalition will share resources, statistics, and initiatives that illustrate the impact of AV on the workforce on the U.S. economy. Website visitors will find a compilation of research articles, existing training programs, policy recommendations, fact sheets, and other resources. Event organizers and members of the press will also find workforce experts in the coalition spokesperson’s office.
“Autonomous vehicles will change transportation – making it safer, more sustainable and more affordable. This technology will also bring changes to the transportation workforce and has already created new career opportunities for today’s workers,” said Tara Andringa, executive director of Partners for Automated Vehicle Education (PAVE), which helped launch the coalition. “We’re creating a comprehensive directory of AV and workforce information to help others better understand what this technology could mean for workers and the economy. That’s what this whole effort is about.”
The US AV Jobs Coalition will be officially launched at TRB’s Automated Road Transportation Symposium this week in San Diego at the conference.
“This body of research clearly shows that self-powered innovation is a catalyst for job creation and strong economic growth. There is a real, achievable path for state and local governments to welcome autonomous vehicles to encourage investment in their communities, increase safety and create jobs,” said Mufaddal Ezzy, Senior Director of Public Affairs at Aurora.
Policy recommendations
The coalition says AVs represent a generational opportunity to create safer roads, boost affordability, ease supply chain challenges and create new jobs for American workers. To take advantage of this, US AV Jobs believes a policy framework needs to be put in place to support a clear path forward for AV development. The coalition provides four options for states to prepare for AV workforce opportunities:
Immediate Stakeholder Input: The coalition says government agencies should establish a workforce innovation committee made up of a balanced group of government, labor and industry representatives appointed by the state’s governor. This committee would serve as a partnership between government, labor and industry to prepare workforce recommendations as the AV industry progresses.
To do research: It is important to carry out and fund research projects in coordination with industry players, the coalition says. This gives the state an opportunity to do things like evaluate how many AV jobs will be created and identify ways to capitalize on community needs and job creation opportunities throughout the AV ecosystem.
Build the programs: States should create new programs and curricula and improve existing workforce programs. The coalition says it’s important to leverage existing AV industry workforce programs and opportunities based on research, deployment timelines and best practices.
Invest in the future: Finally, government agencies should create grant programs for community colleges, universities, and other educational institutions. Implementing autonomous vehicle training programs ensures that workers can reap the benefits of the high-quality jobs of the future.