Innovate UK funding secured for battery skills training | News

November 2026

University College Birmingham secures Innovate UK funding for battery manufacturing skills training

By Claire Huggins

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Main photo: attendees from Jaguar Land Rover, Atlas Copco and Autocraft are the first to graduate from a B-MSP course.

University College Birmingham has secured Innovate UK funding to expand battery manufacturing skills training through an ambitious three-year programme supporting the UK’s growing battery and electrification industries.

The University is one of three regional skills initiatives that will see a total of £3.7 million being invested to accelerate the development of the UK’s battery manufacturing workforce and strengthen national capability across the battery supply chain.

Alongside University College Birmingham, the other regional initiatives are due to be led by University Centre Somerset and a partnership between Newcastle University and New College Durham. Together, the three initiatives will support industry-focused training to help people develop the skills needed by the UK’s growing battery and advanced manufacturing sectors.

The B-MSP is based in our Centre for Sustainable Construction

Expanding the Battery Manufacturing Skills Pathway

University College Birmingham’s project will expand the successful Battery Manufacturing Skills Pathway (B-MSP) to address workforce shortages across the UK’s growing battery and electrification industries.

Building on existing battery manufacturing training, the project will develop Level 3, 4 and 5 Further Education pathways, alongside Continuing Professional Development opportunities.

The robust training will focus on key areas such as manufacturing, diagnostics, testing, repair, high-voltage competence, quality management systems, remanufacture, reuse and recycling, supporting new entrants into the sector as well as existing workers looking to upskill or progress their careers.

Learning pathways will align with relevant Skills England occupational standards, while links with the National Electrification Skills Network will support collaboration and a coordinated response to national skills needs.

Classroom teaching and practical workshops will be complemented by immersive virtual and augmented reality resources, enabling learners to develop skills safely in realistic industrial settings, giving them unparalleled hands-on learning opportunities.

“Securing this Innovate UK investment recognises University College Birmingham’s expertise in developing industry-led skills training and presents an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of battery manufacturing skills in the UK,” said UCB’s Professor Rosa Wells, B-MSP project lead and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (FE College Principal, Apprenticeships & STEM).

“Building on the West Midlands’ manufacturing strengths and working with an exceptional group of industry and academic partners, we will develop innovative, industry-led training, strengthening workforce capability and supporting the growth and competitiveness of the UK’s battery industry.”

"This investment will help University College Birmingham deliver the practical skills needed for good jobs in clean energy and advanced manufacturing."

Martin McCluskey MP Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Industry expertise shaping battery skills training

University College Birmingham will lead the project with RAVMAC Ltd, bringing together AceOn Group, Autocraft EV Solutions Ltd, Atlas Copco, CHG Electrical Ltd, Cranfield University and Syselek UK.

The project is also supported by Tata Motors, Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd, Rockwell Automation and ABB Ltd, whose expertise will help shape practical, industry-led training reflecting current and emerging workforce needs.

Quality-assured resources and delivery frameworks developed through the project will empower colleges, Institutes of Technology, training providers and employers to deliver training nationally.

The partnership will also engage with schools, colleges and under-represented groups, widening access to battery and clean energy careers through structured and scalable training solutions.

Logo courtesy of the WMCA

Supporting battery skills in the West Midlands

Working with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), the project will support regional priorities while building on the West Midlands’ proud manufacturing heritage.

The pioneering Battery Manufacturing Skills Pathway has been championed by the WMCA from inception because it demonstrates how the West Midlands can translate industrial opportunity into workforce capability. By creating Level 3-5 pathways in battery, electrification and circular manufacturing, the project directly supports the Mayor’s West Midlands Growth Plan ambitions for advanced manufacturing, clean energy and future mobility. The focus on progression into high-value jobs aligns with the WMCA’s ambitions to boost higher level skills provision to meet future demand from regional businesses.

"Clean energy already employs more than 20,000 people across our region, and we expect the demand for skilled workers in this sector to double over the next decade. The selection of University College Birmingham to expand battery manufacturing skills will help us meet that demand in the years ahead."

Richard Parker Mayor of the West Midlands

"Clean energy already employs more than 20,000 people across our region, and we expect the demand for skilled workers in this sector to double over the next decade,” said Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands.

“The selection of University College Birmingham to expand battery manufacturing skills will help us meet that demand in the years ahead. It will also support my Growth Plan goal to boost high-level skills and establish the West Midlands as a leading hub for battery technology and manufacturing. This is how we will grow our economy and create the good jobs local people deserve."

The funding announcement comes on the same day as the University hosts the Green Skills Advisory Panel breakfast event ‘Regional Retrofit Project and Skills Planning’ and the Clean Energy Careers Fair (12 November), bringing together students, employers and national and regional leaders, to focus on the skills, careers and opportunities associated with the transition to clean energy.

Professor Rosa Wells added:

“It is particularly fitting that this investment is being announced on the day University College Birmingham welcomes students, local school and college students, employers and national leaders to discuss careers in clean energy.

“The funding award is testament to the University is not only helping people understand the opportunities being created, but its commitment to working with industry to develop the practical training and progression routes needed to turn those opportunities into careers.”

National Apprenticeship Week students at the B-MSP

Building the workforce for a growing battery industry

As the drive for Net Zero becomes more pressing, industry partners have underlined the need to expand the pipeline of people with the specialist skills required by the battery and electrification sectors.

James Billingham, General Manager - Quality and Facilities at Tata Motors Design Tech Centre, said:

“Tata Motors Design Tech Centre (TMDTC) has significant concerns about the preparedness of the industry to meet the skills demands of vehicle electrification.

“We wholeheartedly support the Battery Manufacturing Skills Pathway project, led by University College Birmingham, in addressing this challenge and welcome the funding allocated by Innovate UK to support its development.

“We are committed to sharing more than 15 years of knowledge and expertise in electric vehicles and battery systems to help shape the curriculum and facilities, and to support the development of high-quality, industry-relevant training capability that can be delivered at scale across the sector.”

Mark Thompson, CEO of AceOn Group, added:

“Energy storage is now critical infrastructure, and the UK's biggest constraint isn't technology; it's people.

“From cell handling and pack assembly to installation, diagnostics and end-of-life, the skills needed are broad and growing fast. Having helped develop the UK's first Battery Manufacturing Technician apprenticeship, we're proud to support a project that widens that pipeline across the whole storage sector.”

Local Energy and Jobs Minister, Martin McCluskey, said:

“The clean energy transition is opening up exciting opportunities for young people across the country to build rewarding careers close to home – including in the West Midlands where we are hosting today’s jobs fair.

"This investment will help University College Birmingham deliver the practical skills needed for good jobs in clean energy and advanced manufacturing, alongside government-backed Technical Excellence Colleges.”

The three skills initiatives form part of the Battery Innovation Programme, delivered by Innovate UK. Its latest funding is designed to help strengthen UK battery capability, including manufacturing, supply chains, materials and recycling.

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