YOUNGSTOWN - The Mahoning Valley will be taking another step toward becoming the “Voltage Valley”.

Officials from Youngstown State University on Wednesday announced intentions to form a partnership Hon Hai Technology (Foxconn) with the parent of the company planning to build electric vehicles at the former GM assembly plant in Lordstown.

Hon Hai Technology Group, known here as Foxconn, announced a partnership to establish a national electric vehicle workforce training and innovation center.

The center will focus on helping the emerging EV industry build and scale a sustainable workforce around advanced manufacturing, energy storage, and other integrated technology solutions, such as artificial intelligence, 5G, and cybersecurity.

The intention is for the center to have national reach and generate an economic impact for the region YSU President Jim Tressel said.

“Now is the time to break down geographic and institutional silos to provide workforce solutions that accelerate the ability for industry, academia, government, and workforce organizations to come together and more quickly deploy resources and strategies to address industry workforce needs,” Tressel said.

"A national hub will help break down barriers and access to educational programming, create greater awareness of opportunities and leverage standardized best practices that can be deployed across any geographic footprint," Jennifer Oddo, executive director of Workforce Education and Innovation at YSU.

Since Foxconn purchased the former GM Assembly plant, plans have been announced to make four electric vehicles here in partnership with other manufacturers, including the “Endurance” pickup truck.

In addition, General Motors and partner LG Chem are putting the finishing touches on a $2.3 billion dollar facility that will produce Ultium batteries at another location in Lordstown

GM says the plant will create 1,300 jobs.