By Em Jankauski
Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow. That’s the motto Ben Kenney, Dana, Inc.’s engineering manager of heat transfer and analytical development, got to see team members of the Battery Workforce Challenge living out during the BattChallenge’s Year One Competition held in Chicago earlier in May.
Kenney, along with dozens of other sponsor representatives from other premier EV battery manufacturers, had the opportunity to chat one on one with these starry-eyed, hardworking students during the competition’s Sponsor Social and Networking Event. The benefit of the event is twofold: students get to meet with industry leaders and in return, those experts get to chat with the next generation of their workforce.
Let’s check in with Kenney to get his impression of this motivational evening from the BattChallenge’s Year One Competition in a fun Q&A
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Q: As a sponsor, what impressed you most about the Battery Workforce Challenge’s Year One Competition?
A: “Engineering a battery pack is a really challenging activity and typically takes years of experience and lots of different skill sets. I was impressed with how each team was able to bring together such a multidisciplinary group and get up to speed so quickly to deliver such high-quality designs for the first-year competition. As somebody coming from a battery thermal management perspective, it was incredible seeing the variety of solutions that each team brought to the table.”
Q: Can you share a little bit about your interactions with students at the competition? After interacting with them, what’s your view on their potential impact on the EV battery workforce?
A: “I had a great time meeting students and also team supervisors. Some of the best interactions happened in the exhibition hall over breakfast and lunch, and I’ve had a number of follow up discussions over email. It’s clear that all the students involved have a passion for clean energy and see the Battery Workforce Challenge as a great way to learn about a critical piece of our clean energy future.
“All of them were very keen to find out more about Dana and discuss future opportunities. As a potential employer, knowing that these students are collecting real-world engineering experience in this high-tech field definitely gives them a leg up when it comes to applying for jobs.”
Q: What value do you see getting to interact with the next generation of the battery workforce in events like the Battery Workforce Challenge? How does this interaction add value to your work and even your company?
A: “It’s eye opening to see so many out-of-the-box ideas coming from the student teams. Even as somebody with years of experience working at Dana on electrification projects, I can personally learn a lot from the ideas that the teams are developing.
“The teams are approaching the challenge from a different lens, and they all have a fresh take. The value for Dana isn’t just being able to tap into a great source of future engineers but also seeing these new solutions being explored in a real battery pack which could eventually translate into Dana finding better solutions for our own customers.”
