Pete Buttigieg, the Transportation Secretary and former Mayor of South Bend, has been on a Midwest tour for the past two days, visiting Wisconsin and Michigan to showcase the growth of clean energy jobs. Today, he returned to his home state of Indiana to highlight the upcoming electric vehicle battery plants that will be established in Kokomo.
Buttigieg described the manufacturing hub of America in these words.
According to Secretary Buttigieg, these jobs are often referred to as green collar jobs, but he views them as traditional blue-collar roles.
John Hollingsworth shared that he secured a job at the Stellantis Plant Project, which will have two Kokomo battery plants and bring 1,400 job opportunities to central Indiana. He was able to join Houston Electric months before the project’s completion and operation, showcasing the positive impact of the upcoming multi-billion-dollar facility.
Hollingsworth expressed, “This project is massive and it’s located right in my own backyard.”
According to him, the chance has been enormous for contractors in the area, including himself, and it has resulted in his union’s membership more than doubling.
According to Hollingsworth, “You usually have to travel quite a distance to work on a big project like this, which often involves a lot of overtime. But the income is simply incredible, making it somewhat of a unicorn opportunity.”
According to Buttigieg, the Biden-Harris Administration’s achievement in creating clean energy manufacturing jobs at 400 facilities nationwide is a notable success.
Upon visiting the establishment, he addressed the audience at Ivy Tech’s Kokomo Campus, which has been instrumental in providing the necessary training for the plant’s skilled workforce.
Buttigieg expressed his excitement about the current state of Howard County’s turnaround. He believes that the future holds great promise, especially with the innovation that is yet to come. As the electric vehicle industry is still in its early stages, he envisions that it will dominate the automotive sector for the rest of the century.
Secretary Buttigieg remained tight-lipped when asked about his political future or the rumors circulating about him potentially being chosen as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate. He declined to answer any questions related to these topics.