Current initiatives

To ensure the educational opportunities align with industry needs, Nevada Tech Hub with its grant dollars from the EDA, has funded the development and expansion of related programs, internships and apprenticeships. When it comes to assistance in navigating career pathways and promoting opportunities for employment, Nevada Tech Hub is working with partners to hire necessary staff, provide outreach, offer support services and promote these opportunities to those looking for a career or career change.

• Great Basin College was awarded $1.98 million to support the college’s new Industrial Tech Center in Winnemucca. The new facility provides a space for necessary programs that will fill the need for trained workers in the lithium battery and critical minerals economy. Opened in August, the Industrial Tech Center is anticipated, through spring of 2029, to train and credential approximately 250 new diesel technologists, industrial maintenance technologists, electrical systems technologists, and instrumentation technologists for careers in the lithium battery supply chain.
• Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) received $497,420 to support the Individual Career Mapping (ICM) 3D Classroom Project, which uses virtual reality and immersive training to provide career exploration, science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, and industry-recognized credentials with hands-on, industry-led training.
• Dragonfly Energy, a Reno-based lithium battery manufacturer, was awarded $278,583 to upgrade and modernize its production systems, boosting the company’s efficiency, supporting workforce development, and expand its production capacity. The project aims to improve the company’s operational efficiency by enhancing data collection, product transport, and overall output.
• Lyten, a lithium-sulfur battery manufacturer, received $400,000 to advance the company’s proprietary Lithium Processing System (LPS) to a pilot-ready design. The proposed system uses ion-selective membranes to extract lithium from brines into a high-purity lithium carbonate equivalent without acids, bases, or waste streams, resulting in high lithium recovery with comparatively low energy usage.
• Manufacture Nevada received $199,120 to provide dedicated expertise to help Nevada Tech Hub companies secure resources needed to succeed and expand, including finding domestic suppliers of equipment and materials.
• Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology was awarded $140,000 to fund an assessment of Nevada’s historical and active mining sites to identify and quantify concentrations of target critical minerals such as cobalt, nickel, manganese, and others in mine tailings or retrievable as by-products of existing mining operations. These critical minerals are often present in current mining operations but historically, due to their value or quantity, may not have justified the cost of a complete mining operation on their own.
• Nevada Department of Corrections was awarded $415,070 to expand re-entry programs for offenders, with career education and training specific to the lithium battery and critical minerals industry.
• Nevadaworks, the local workforce development board for northern Nevada, was awarded $2.8 million to lead efforts aligning workforce initiatives with industry needs, including hiring a lead career navigator to head up the work in the lithium battery space. Nevadaworks was awarded an additional $215,000 to head up a statewide marketing campaign promoting Nevada’s jobs in the clean energy industry.
• Northern Nevada Building & Construction Trades Council received $1.5 million to expand apprenticeship program capacity by adding key leadership positions including a director of recruitment and a building trades recruiter. These roles will strengthen apprenticeship recruitment and connect more Nevadans to careers.
• Northern Nevada Central Labor Council and Northern Nevada Member Assistance Program were awarded $2.4 million to provide additional critical support services to apprentices in need, including financial assistance for boots, tools, equipment and transportation, as well as food and vouchers for housing and utilities.
• Office of Workforce Innovation (OWINN) was awarded $219,999 to expand the Nevada P-20 to Workforce Research Data System (NPWR), unlocking new avenues of research, improving performance reporting, and strengthening the link between workforce programs and long-term outcomes.
• Redwood Materials received $440,890 to support a state-wide lithium battery recycling initiative. A collaboration with Washoe County, the project includes the deployment of 20 lithium battery-specific smart bins and a public education campaign to encourage responsible battery disposal, reduce landfill contamination, and lower the risk of battery-related fires in homes and businesses.
• Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) was awarded $1.8 million to expand its Advanced Manufacturing program, including the launch of a new Skilled Machine Technician registered apprenticeship program, featuring a 12-credit curriculum designed in direct collaboration with local industry partners. The funding also supports expanded faculty and lab staff, the purchase of advanced training equipment, and provides for participant support including registration and instructional materials.
• University of Nevada Career Studio received $200,000 to develop and expand internship programs with partners in the lithium battery and critical materials industry.
• University of Nevada College of Business was awarded $90,000 to support the development of a Workforce Readiness Bootcamp, offering students and recent graduates a dedicated, weeklong course to develop soft skills and emotional intelligence skills, something commonly identified by industry partners as a skillset that was lacking in new hires.
• Western Nevada College (WNC) was awarded $1.8 million to support a specialized training program to prepare workers for battery disassembly and recycling processes. This program, in collaboration with a strategic industry partner, will address Nevada’s growing demand for skilled labor in the lithium battery recycling sector.

Mining & Critical Minerals

• Metallurgists
• Industrial Hygienists
• Reliability Engineers/Technicians
• Electricians
• Geotechnical Engineers
• Deisel Mechanics

 Processing & Refining

• Processing operators
• Chemical technicians
• Industrial maintenance technicians
• Lab analysts

Advanced Manufacturing Jobs

• Battery Assembly technicians
• Robotics & automation specialists
• CNC machinists & tool programmers
• Production supervisors

Supply Chain & Logistics

• Materials Planners & analysts
• Logistics coordinators

Recycling

• Battery recycling technicians
• Chemical recovery operators
• Environmental compliance officers

Research & Development

• Battery engineers
• Materials scientists
• Energy storage analysts
• Research technicians

The Nevada Native Nations Center, located in the Office of Indigenous Relations, was developed under Nevada Tech Hub to ensure collaboration and inclusion for Nevada’s Tribal communities. The Center is comprised of five components that focuses on supporting Tribal communities, culture, and pathways for success.

1. Tribal Students LEAD (Learn, Empower, Achieve, Dream) Program – a no-cost, immersive week-long program designed to help Indigenous students explore higher education opportunities and set them up for success after enrollment.
2. Nevada INBRE Tribal Academy – a program assisting Native American high school and college students through the process of education and career development in science and medical fields through mentorship and guidance. The program offers career exploration, academic advising, tutoring and a focus on wellness and self-care.
3. Nevada Tribal Leadership Development Program – Assists Tribal leaders in developing their leadership skills, learning responsible, efficient and effective business skills. The program offers professional training and workshops leveraging University of Nevada colleges and departments in the areas of public administration and management, public policy, economic development and planning. 
4. Tribal Government and Governance Workshops - To support individual Tribes and communities, workshops are developed as needed to specifically address the unique needs of each Native American and Indigenous community. These workshops include intensive instruction in code development, regulations, planning, policies and processes, infrastructure development, budgeting, governance and other topics needed for capacity building and administrative readiness.
5. Tribal Consultation – Continuous consultation between Tribal governments and communities and industry sector representatives is imperative. This ongoing relationship is critical to addressing potential cultural, environmental, and social conflicts that may emerge between Tribes, public sector agencies, private sector firms, and even with non-profit community-based organizations through the development and implementation of mitigation strategies and the establishment of long-term productive partnerships.

If your Tribal Community is interested in potential workshop, please email Daphne Hooper, daphnehooper@unr.edu.

Search the Small Business Administration Make Onshoring Great Again portal to identify domestic manufacturers and producers.

Manufacture Nevada works side-by-side with Nevada Tech Hub consortium members, connecting them to a comprehensive network of resources, experts, and solutions that help their businesses succeed and grow. Nevada businesses can achieve greater operational efficiency, reduce costs, and build a more resilient and responsive supply chain. Contact Manufacture Nevada for more information.

Nevada Tech Hub, with University of Nevada College of Business, completed and published a supply chain study in October 2025. The study, “A Meta-Analysis of the Critical Mineral Supply Chain in the United States and Opportunities for Nevada in the Lithium Loop,” identifies key supply chain gaps and opportunities for Nevada.