Waco’s Texas State Technical College (TXTC) has been chosen as the first school in Texas for Tesla START, the Silicon Valley company’s electric vehicle service program. Tesla START, which stands for Student Automotive Technician Program, is a 12-week program and could create an opportunity for a Tesla service center in Waco.
So far, 300 students have graduated from Tesla START, since it launched in 2018. After the students graduate, Tesla helps them find a job in one of the 110 and growing service centers.
300 students have graduated from Tesla START since it launched in 2018. Tesla, the release states, works with graduates to place them in service centers. https://t.co/r4URvdT35q
— K10✨ (@Kristennetten) February 5, 2020
Tesla START provides students with the skills necessary for a career at Tesla. Students learn technical expertise and earn their certifications through a mix of in-class theory, hands-on labs, and self-paced learning.
Students learn about Tesla’s vehicles, participate in team-based activities, and learn interview training as well as soft skills. According to a fact sheet provided by Tesla on the 12-week program, students learn skills that are unique to electric vehicles rather than general automotive skills. These skills include learning battery architecture, charging technology, and Tesla-specific repair procedures.
Other colleges have been chosen to teach Tesla START courses as well — Miami Dade College, Evergreen Valley College, Suffolk County Community College, Shoreline Community College, Central Piedmont Community College, and Rio Hondo College.
Regarding TXTC, the first of three 12-week classes begins in March of this year. Students are also employed by Tesla as hourly interns. TXTC’s executive director, Kelly Filgo, tells the Waco Tribune-Herald that working with Tesla illustrates the school’s involvement in specialized training and that Tesla recognizes that “we are a good pool to pull talent from.”
It’s probably worth noting that it seems Tesla will build a gigafactory in Texas.
Giga Texas?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 5, 2020
Image courtesy Tesla
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