As Tesla ramps up construction at the Gigafactory in Northern Nevada, Truckee Meadows Community College—or TMCC—already has waiting lists for its various manufacturing programs. Reno Public Radio’s Anh Gray explains.
TMCC President Maria Sheehan says that as more people become interested in manufacturing jobs like the ones Tesla would offer, TMCC has seen a big jump in registration for its technology programs.
“What we’re trying to do is change the way we present our programming so that we can take as many students as possible and really cut those waiting lists down to next to nothing,” Sheehan says.
Executives at Tesla have been inviting some educators from tech and vocational training programs on externships: to go to the carmaker’s factory in California to learn more about the production of their electric vehicles. The whole idea is to give educators an inside view so they can tailor their instruction.
Randy Walden is the director of the Applied Technology Center at TMCC. He recently attended a one-week externship at Tesla with another instructor.
“I really wanted to see their automation and make sure that our courses and what we’re offering are in line with what their needs are as it relates to the Gigafactory,” Walden says.
Walden says the courses and curriculum that are already offered at TMCC would prepare students for the type of manufacturing jobs available at Tesla. But, he identified one area TMMC’s program could adjust to specifically address battery production.
“Battery storage safety. They are high voltage packages," Walden says. "We have to be cognizant of safety issues around that. We’re cognizant of safety around electrical anyways but this is a little bit of a different animal.”
This would require training students in the proper procedures of handling both equipment and the battery packs. Along with making those changes, Walden says TMCC has extended its hours so more students have access to the high-tech training that’s been in such demand.
