A total of 62 employees from Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory have graduated from the Shanghai University of Electric Power, becoming the first to earn diplomas or degrees through a joint continuing education program between the automaker and the university.

Among the graduates, 49 obtained bachelor's degrees in electrical engineering and automation, while 13 received junior college diplomas in power supply and utilization technology.

The program consists of two stages. In the first stage, candidates are selected internally by Tesla and undergo an 18-month study phase, which features a curriculum co-delivered by faculty from the Shanghai University of Electric Power and industry experts from Tesla's Shanghai factory.

In the second stage, candidates must pass the national adult college entrance examination to gain university admission, followed by approximately three years of part-time study to obtain their diplomas or degrees.

As part of a new apprentice training initiative, the program integrates practice-oriented curriculum with on-site training, helping students develop practical engineering skills, according to Wu Maoliang, an associate professor at the Shanghai University of Electric Power.

Wu noted that the program emphasizes real project-driven learning, with training conducted in actual production scenarios, offering a replicable model for other application-oriented universities.

At the university's Lin-gang campus, joint training platforms support hands-on learning in new energy vehicle technologies.

The curriculum was co-designed by Tesla and the university, with a joint team of more than 20 instructors.

To date, the program has trained more than 800 Tesla employees, with over 400 admitted to continuing higher education programs. The model has also been extended to other major companies operating in Shanghai, such as CATL.

Source: Shanghai Observer