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Ford, Gov. Beshear Break Ground on ECTC BlueOval SK Training Center

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ECTC BlueOval SK Training Center Groundbreaking
The groundbreaking of the ECTC BlueOval SK Training Center took place on Tuesday
Photo: Ford

Earlier this week, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear joined representatives from Ford, BlueOval SK, and Elizabethtown Community and Technical College to break ground at the site of the ECTC BlueOval SK Training Center. The advanced training facility will be part of BlueOval SK Battery Park, the massive campus which will kick off battery production for upcoming Ford and Lincoln vehicles in 2025.


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Gov. Andy Beshear calls KY America’s EV capital

When the 1,500-acre battery park was announced in September 2021, Gov. Beshear hailed it as a transformative opportunity for the state of Kentucky. He underscored its importance at Tuesday’s groundbreaking, saying that it will effectively make the Bluegrass State “the electric vehicle battery capital of the United States.” The ECTC BlueOval SK Training Center will be critical in that aim as it will provide on-site training for the park’s estimated 5,000 employees.

“World-class companies are betting their futures on Kentucky because of our world-class workforce,” said Gov. Beshear. “This training center will help make sure BlueOval SK has the skilled employees it needs to begin production on day one.”

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (and his shades)
Photo: Ford

Since Gov. Beshear took office, 44,800 full-time jobs have been created in the state of Kentucky. Coupled with $25.8 billion in announced investments, including Ford’s $5.8 billion investment, Gov. Beshear has overseen the best two years of economic growth in state history.

Construction kicked off at ECTC BlueOval SK Training Center in February of this year and is scheduled to conclude by next spring. The center will focus on training employees in SK on’s processes via resources including advanced virtual reality labs. Construction is well underway at BlueOval SK Battery Park ahead of production beginning in 2025.

Ford is also well into construction on its BlueOval City campus in Stanton, Tennessee, which it recently announced will produce the next-generation electric truck codenamed T3. In February, Ford also announced BlueOval Battery Park Michigan, a $3.5 billion facility that will offer lithium iron phosphate batteries.