Houston City College launches Workforce Training partnership with Tesla

Houston City College (HCC) has formed a new partnership with Tesla, Inc. to strengthen Houston’s workforce and expand career pathways in advanced manufacturing. The partners celebrated the graduation of the first cohort of students to complete the program at the Stafford campus and signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cement the collaboration.

Building on the success of the pilot, HCC and Tesla officials announced plans to increase enrollment to 250 students through the remainder of the year.

“This partnership reflects Houston City College’s commitment to building strong industry connections that create meaningful career opportunities for our students and community,” said HCC Chancellor Margaret Ford Fisher, Ed.D. “By partnering with Tesla, we are taking a leading role in meeting the demands of today’s advanced manufacturing industry for our region.”

Javier Corral Astorga, Tesla director of operations at Megafactory Texas, echoed Dr. Ford Fisher’s remarks during the event at HCC Stafford, where the program is housed.

“We are proud to partner with Houston City College to help prepare the next generation of manufacturing professionals,” he said before a gathering of about 100 people, including HCC faculty, businesspeople and local political leaders.

“We’re excited about creating opportunities for individuals to gain the technical skills and real-world experience needed to support the rapidly growing advanced manufacturing sector,” Astorga said.

Under the signed a Memorandum of Understanding, HCC and Tesla have developed curriculum, shared resources and created direct training opportunities for program recipients. The first 12 graduates who earned certificates of completion will work at Tesla’s Megafactory Texas in Brookshire, where the company is manufacturing its energy storage unit, Megapack 3.

Officials lauded the graduates, each of whom demonstrated proficiency in maintenance, troubleshooting and adherence to industry safety standards through HCC’s Industrial Maintenance and Advanced Manufacturing curriculum.

“This collaboration represents the future of workforce education—aligning classroom instruction with hands-on industry experience to create direct pathways into high-demand careers,” said Eva Loredo, chair, HCC Board of Trustees. “I would like to thank Vice Chair Trustee Sean Cheben for helping establish the connection that made this partnership possible.”

Loredo also expressed gratitude to the full HCC Board of Trustees for “wholeheartedly supporting the partnership, as it aligns with our mission and vision to prepare our students and strengthen our region’s workforce.”

To learn more about HCC, visit hccs.edu.