More:Aggressive mandate prods California's EV training expansion. Other states move ahead Recinos has since graduated and is now working full time in diagnostics at the Tesla service center in Irvine, Calif., where his benefits cover tuition so he can go back to college to get the engineering degree that he has wanted for so long. For now, he is enjoying working for Tesla. "There are so many paths to grow on at Tesla," Recinos said. "It's exciting." Tesla, led by CEO Elon Musk, holds nearly half of the U.S. EV market and has been in the spotlight recently given Musk's endorsement and support of President-elect Donald Trump, who selected him to lead with former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy a new "Department of Government Efficiency" that will work outside of the federal government. Recinos was part of Rio Honda College's 12th cohort of students who graduated from Tesla START, a program that provides intense training to people who are interested in electric vehicles and want to launch a career with Tesla. Besides California, the Tesla training program is offered at 10 colleges in eight states including North Carolina, Maryland, Georgia, Florida, Colorado, Washington and Texas, according to program's website. There aren't any Tesla START programs offered in Michigan, though one was once offered at Macomb Community College in 2018. A few Tesla START training programs are coming soon to community colleges in the Midwest, but Tesla officials declined to comment on whether any would be in Michigan. Michigan officials and industry leaders are leaning into electric vehicle training at community college programs to fill the estimated 3,000 Michigan electric vehicle jobs open now. The effort, known as the Michigan Electric Vehicle Jobs Academy, began three years ago with a $5 million state spending infusion. "Electric cars are not the future, they are here to stay," said Damian Calliste, national Tesla START program manager, who is based in Brooklyn, N.Y. "We teach you everything you need to know about the vehicle and how to repair it properly." Seven years ago, Tesla piloted its training program in Fremont, Calif., where the company has a factory, Calliste said. The first Tesla START program began in 2017 at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, N.C. and has since grown, training nearly 1,000 technicians to work in Tesla service centers across the nation, he added. The 16-week course content includes the company's history, electrical fundamentals, high voltage safety, diagnostic systems and thermal systems, along with Tesla culture and owner experiences. Rio Hondo College was the second in the nation to offer the Tesla START program in 2017, said John Frala, a Rio Hondo professor who specializes in alternative fuels as well as electric and fuel cell vehicles. More than 200 students have graduated since then and most are working in Tesla service centers or have moved to other companies manufacturing medium- to heavy-duty electric vehicles, he said. The program at Rio Hondo College has attracted students from California but also outside the state and even residents from Asia, Mexico and other countries, Frala said. Students learn on nine current Tesla models in a 2,000 square-foot laboratory for the first three days of the week, then go to the service centers and apply what they learned. Tesla pays the students about $24-$26 an hour to be in the program, where they will learn "every inch of the car," Frala said. Calliste said the hourly wages range for students depending on where they are based in the program. Each cohort is 15 students who have to qualify by hands-on testing and two interviews, Frala said. Rio Hondo College used to offer two classes during the regular school year, then began offering a class in the summer due to demand. There is a one-semester wait list to get into the Tesla START program at Rio Hondo College, Frala said. People want to get into the program because of California's rules requiring zero-emission vehicles by 2035, he said. "If they are not prepared for that," Frala said. "They are going to be out of jobs." Students, however, said it was more than that. "It's the future," said John An, who moved to Los Angeles from Houston and rented an Airbnb during his training. Calliste said most students who go through the program land jobs in Tesla service centers. But not all do. An, who owned a car repair facility in Houston, went back to his business when he couldn't land a position at Tesla after his training. "I had a good time," An said. "I'll just work on electrical cars that come by my shop." But Cody McAlister did find work with Tesla after graduating from the company's training program. He spent 10 years in his first career managing a recycling center but pivoted during the COVID pandemic to set his sights on a career with Tesla. McAlister, who is married and has two young sons, said he feels like a pioneer having learned the skills to service electric vehicles and land a job at a service center in Costa Mesa, Calif., where he is having fun, "solving mysteries all day." "It seems Tesla is one of the few companies that are trying to bring manufacturing back to the U.S.," McAlister said. "They are willing to train us in such depth to help them progress faster. It's an awesome opportunity for both parties." kkozlowski@detroitnews.com This story was funded in part by a media fellowship from the Institute for Citizens and Scholars, with support from the ECMC Foundation, to increase journalists’ tools for reporting on postsecondary education, particularly career and technical education.