Tesla Gigafactory New York’s training program quickly has become a source of rapport with Northland Workforce Training Center.
Monday’s graduation of 50 students marks the fourth cohort of the gigafactory’s Manufacturing Development Program through NWTS.
Having Gigafactory employees work alongside students during the education process ensures that they already know the level of expectations once training is done, Tesla Gigafactory New York Manager of Operations Craig Brodfuehrer said.
“If you've never been on a manufacturing course, it's tough to understand what it's like, the safety risks that are there. So I mean, the more we can get you exposed to those in a controlled environment like a classroom, it's extremely valuable," he said. "Having the program here has been great, absolutely great, especially for the young individuals who are wanting to get into this world.”
Being in Western New York is a major asset for Tesla Gigafactory because they can train prospective employees from within the community, Brodfuehrer said. He adds that there is an advantage training young people because learning the company’s system is their first exposure.
“The earlier we can get people to be used to the manufacturing environment, the better off they'll be, being successful within it," he said. "So yeah, we always want to hire (locally). I mean, Buffalo is a big metropolitan, so we always want to be building up the local area, rather than bringing people in from outside.”
Students learn how to operate and interact with manufacturing robots over their six weeks, and also things such as financial literacy and attendance policies. About 150 total students have finished the program so far, with Monday’s graduation marking the fourth cohort overall.
