Second Tesla START cohort graduates at TSTC’s Fort Bend County campus

Graduates will go on to work at Tesla Service Centers across the U.S.

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Eight Tesla START students became graduates — and Tesla employees — during a ceremony filled with cheers and celebration Thursday, May 26.

The group represents the program’s second cohort on Texas State Technical College’s Fort Bend County campus — and the first cohort to complete their training in the new Faraday Center.

The Faraday Center, which opened in February, is a facility expressly designed and built to support electric vehicles. Graduates’ loved ones toured the center following the ceremony, taking test drives in some of the models that graduates have been learning from during the 16-week training.

Adam Barber, TSTC’s executive director of Workforce Training, congratulated the graduates on their achievements and remarked that their cohort will always be known for setting the standard in the new facility.

“Hopefully you enjoyed that space, and hopefully it was accommodating to you,” he said. “I know you’re excited and happy to be starting a new chapter.”

Barber thanked the graduates for their hard work and the sacrifices they made to complete the program. He added that they are now part of the TSTC family.

“You’ll always have support from us,” he said. “Everybody on this campus is here for you. Our goal is to help place you in great-paying jobs, and (Tesla) has helped do that.”

The program gives students the skills necessary to become advanced electric vehicle technicians for the company. As a paid hourly intern during the program, students develop technical expertise and earn certifications through a blended approach of in-class theory, hands-on labs and self-paced learning.

The estimated tuition of the program is $2,700. In addition to hourly pay, students receive full health benefits while in the program. Prospective students can find admission requirements and more information at tstc.edu/workforce/tesla-start.

All students who successfully complete the program are eligible to work at a Tesla Service Center in the United States.

There are currently nine such partnerships with colleges in California, Florida, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Washington – and at TSTC’s campuses in Fort Bend County and Waco. The program was launched in 2019 and has had more than 300 graduates to date. 

For more information on Tesla START, go to tesla.com/careers/tesla-start. 

Learn more about TSTC at tstc.edu.