Construction at Tesla’s Texas Gigafactory, a manufacturing facility opening in Austin, is underway. The facility is expected to be complete later this year, which means the electric vehicle powerhouse has a lot of hiring to do.
Tesla plans to hire at least 5,000 employees for the new facility with salaries for entry-level roles starting at $35,000.
To find skilled employees, Tesla and Austin Community College (ACC) announced on Tuesday a new 14-week manufacturing program. Students selected for Tesla’s START Manufacturing program will be hired by Tesla and paid during their training, according to a news release.
“When businesses and education come together, we build connections that make college affordable and link students directly with employers so they can go straight into a promising career,” Richard Rhodes, ACC chancellor, said in a statement. “ACC is excited to work with Tesla to develop cutting-edge training programs that prepare students for one of the region’s fastest-growing industries.”
ACC students enrolled in the program will design, build and maintain machines through the use of robots, control systems and other advanced technology. The new program is expected to begin in August with a new group of students starting each month afterward.
“It is critical we train our existing workforce to meet the manufacturing needs of Central Texas,” Ed Latson, Austin Regional Manufacturing Association executive director, said in a statement. “With the potential of thousands of new jobs at Tesla alone, this partnership will be crucial to making sure the right training is provided for the right jobs.”
Tesla, a California-based company, is currently hiring at least 251 people in Austin with additional remote positions available. Open positions include program managers, accountants, technicians and a variety of engineers.
Tesla’s four- to five-million-square-foot Gigafactory located near the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport will produce the company’s new Cybertruck and Tesla Semi in addition to Model Y and Model 3 vehicles “for the eastern half of North America,” Musk said during an earnings call last July.
Tesla isn’t the only manufacturing company hiring in Austin. Hyliion, which last week announced plans to expand its Cedar Park headquarters, is actively hiring 36 people. Volcon ePowersports recently raised $17.5 million with plans to hire additional sales, engineering and production staff.
