Tesla forms a partnership with a technical school to train EV technicians

Tesla has partnered with Lincoln Tech to train next-generation electric vehicle (EV) technicians to add to its workforce. Lincoln Tech, which has technical schools across the US, will support Tesla in expanding the Tesla START program. 

Tesla START, a 12-week training program, was launched in 2018 in partnership with community colleges to train service technicians. Until that year, Tesla used to recruit service technicians from other automakers or who had entered training programs. 

According to Tesla, under the partnership, a Tesla training facility will be established at Lincoln Tech's campus in Denver, providing students free Tesla START training as a part of a three-year plan. Automotive Technology graduates from Lincoln Tech campuses will be eligible to apply to the advanced EV training program. 

Tesla will have a 6,000 square foot (557 square metre) space at the Colorado campus, providing vehicles, tools, equipment, charging stations and instructors to execute the 16-week training program. 

The shortage of service technicians surfaced recently when the US media reported that Tesla sends untrained employees to service centres to fix vehicles. Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated in January to "revolutionise technical service with bigger centres and more specialisation." 

The expansion of the Tesla START program will hopefully eliminate the lack of technicians in North America and improve after-sales services in the region. 

Image: Tesla