Ford details when local hiring will start at BlueOval City

The Ford-fueled hiring binge at BlueOval City is starting to come into focus.

Ford Motor Co. announced on Tuesday that it will begin efforts to start hiring hourly employees next year and have them trained to begin customer deliveries of the next-generation electric truck beginning in 2026.

Ford plans to train West Tennessee residents for jobs at its Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center and start hiring hourly employees in 2025 to ensure they’re prepared and ready to support consumer shipment of its next-generation electric truck starting in two years.

The automotive giant will look to develop local talent for jobs at the assembly plant through its BlueOval Learning initiative, according to a release. The comprehensive training that will consist of online, classroom and hands-on segments are designed to prepare employees to operate, maintain and troubleshoot equipment in their areas.

The Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center will use the most current Ford manufacturing equipment to allow employees to train on machine vision systems for robot guidance and quality assurance, automated pick-and-place material handling, sealer and adhesive dispensing systems and various automated mechanical joining technologies, among several other manufacturing processes.

Prospective employees will have an opportunity to meet with Ford representatives at the new Ford Tennessee Discovery Center in Brownsville once the facility opens later this year. Additionally, community members also will have a chance to experience advanced manufacturing through virtual reality simulations at the Discovery Center.

Massive BlueOval City campus coming into form

Ford said the $5.6 billion BlueOval City campus in Stanton is taking shape as robotic training cells, conveyors, paint spray booths and stamping press lines have been installed at The Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center assembly plant. As the work in the plant continues, Ford is focused on education, environmental protection and local engagement to make sure people in West Tennessee fully benefit from growth triggered by BlueOval City.

“We have been humbled by the warm hospitality extended to us by our new neighbors in West Tennessee,” Kel Kearns, plant manager of Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center at BlueOval City, said in a release. “As the company that helped create the American middle class, we want residents in every community around the region to benefit as BlueOval City comes to life.”

Ford’s goal is for the Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center assembly plant to be carbon neutral and use carbon-free electricity. From its earliest conception, BlueOval City was designed to help minimize impact on the local environment and to protect the local community.

“We recognize the significance of farming, fishing and hunting in West Tennessee,” Blake Newbill, senior environmental engineer of Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center, said in a release. “And we understand that part of being a good neighbor is caring for the air, water and land so these important resources are preserved for our community.”

Corey Davis is the Collierville and Germantown reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Corey.Davis@commercialappeal.com or 901-293-1610.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Ford details when local hiring will start at BlueOval City