Miami Dade College Tesla START Program Is 1 of Top 6 Quality Non-Degree Workforce Programs in US

Photo: The University of Alabama College

Getting an education is an important stage in life for most people. Although a person with talent may not need it to get a job in such prestigious companies as Tesla and SpaceX, it is still vital for most people. Miami Dade College's Tesla START Program has been ranked among the top six quality community colleges in the United States with non-degree workforce programs that lead to great jobs and careers.

If you are a gifted and purposeful person, then it will not be difficult for you to engage in self-study in order to achieve the desired heights in life. However, not all people have such advantages, and therefore need special education in order to gain knowledge that will lead to getting a quality job. New America emphasizes that new models are needed to prepare for careers more than ever, as millions of jobs have been eliminated as a result of the pandemic.

At this point, the economic situation has begun to improve and quality jobs that do not require a graduate degree have begun to emerge. The community and technical colleges offer quality non-degree programs to help people get them. To help colleges advance these programs, New America is launching the New Models for Career Preparation National Cohort.

New America reviewed the literature on program quality and met with hundreds of college, employer, policy, and economic development leaders and researchers to identify five non-degree workforce program quality criteria:

• Labor market outcomes: There is evidence that the credential leads directly to an in-demand, high-quality job that provides at least the local living wage.
• Equity: The programs graduates demographically resemble or include more underrepresented groups compared to the region's population and the occupation as a whole.
• Stackability: The credential lends itself to life-long learning by providing the student with credit that can count towards a future advanced credential or college degree.
• Affordability: The program is affordable resulting in a reasonable average student debt load and/or accompanied with financial aid eligibility (Pell or other federal, state, employer financial aid and/or learn-and-earn opportunities).
• Completion: The program has a respectable completion rate and pass rate for occupational licensure or industry certification exams (if applicable).

According to these criteria, New America has identified a national cohort of community colleges each with unique quality programs:

1. Brazosport College's Jump Start Occupational Skills Award
2. Bates Technical College-AJAC Apprenticeship Program
3. Mesa Community College's Harness Wiring Bootcamp
4. Monroe Community College's Certified Nursing Assistant program
5. Miami Dade College's Tesla START program
6. Dallas College's Cisco Certified Networking Associate Program

Miami Dade College's Tesla START program is a 15-week intensive program that prepares students for service technician roles with Tesla. Students are paid a stipend while participating in the program and earn a Career Technical Certificate from the College and a certificate of completion from Tesla. Tesla START is an intensive training program designed to provide students across North America with the skills necessary for a successful career with Tesla—at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution. This gives them the opportunity to get a position in a prestigious company, where there will also be career opportunities.

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Article edited by @SmokeyShorts, you can follow him on Twitter

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