Evergreen Valley College Grad Hits Ground Running With Tesla Job

PALO ALTO, CA — Chess Williams placed his auto mechanic career on the fast track when he reversed the usual order by turning in an internship application with Tesla then going to school at San Jose Evergreen Valley College.

Williams, who's from Fort Worth, Tex., specifically wanted to work for the high-energy car maker and got his wish with acceptance to the 12-week Tesla START program that's a collaborative effort between the college and the electric car maker. He graduated a few weeks ago, starting with Elon Musk's prize company a week later. The vocational program on steroids taught him everything he needed to know to work as a certified technician. He works in a dealership off El Camino Real in Palo Alto.

"I'm a big Tesla fan but not the biggest car guy," he admitted to Patch. "This was definitely an awesome opportunity to further my career."

Evergreen Valley College is one of only six locations across North America in the Tesla Start program. The locations are found in California, Washington, North Carolina and Florida. San Jose's college earned recognition in the Advanced Transportation & Renewable sector for its Automotive Technology Program.

In addition to seven separate certificates, Evergreen Valley College offers two fully-accredited Associate degrees with most course work and credits transferrable to a four-year college. Evergreen’s Automotive Technology program maintains resources and vehicles available to students, including state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, late-model vehicles and intensive, hands-on training.

Moreover, Tesla START is an accelerated program that pays students while they train to become electric vehicle technicians. The car maker provides the vehicles, equipment, instructor, tools and curriculum for hands-on learning. Students train in a space on campus designed to simulate a Tesla service location, so they are ready to hit the ground running on the first day of their new careers. After completing the program, students become eligible for employment with Tesla at one of their service locations across the country.

The Evergreen College group from April brings the total to 172 Tesla START graduates since the program started last year.

The college contends that 79 percent of students boost their earnings with certificates from the Silicon Valley institution.

The Tesla START program, as Evergreen Valley College’s Automotive Technology program, is only a part of that equation — but it represents an innovative cooperative project to facilitate students into the workforce. And Tesla is all about innovation.

“By 2040, electric vehicles will represent 30 percent of all new car sales," said Maniphone Dickerson, the college's dean of business and workforce. "Tesla is at the forefront of the EV revolution.

“To become one of the best automotive training program you need to teach the latest technologies used in modern vehicles,” said Michael Hernandez, automotive instructor at Evergreen Valley College. “The Tesla START program provides training in the latest technologies used in all electric vehicles.”

As higher academia goes, Evergreen Valley College — which opened its doors in 1975 to 3,000 students and has tripled its enrollment to students from more than 70 countries on its 175-acre campus — has gained a reputation for building partnerships.

“We are committed to providing incredible, life-changing career opportunities to our diverse student population," college President Keith Aytch said.

Tesla executives applaud the collaboration and innovative way to build its growing workforce.

“As more and more consumers are choosing electric, Tesla START provides a unique opportunity for college students to get 12-weeks of specialized technician training in this emerging industry,” said Martti Thomas, Tesla START Operations and Implementation manager.