In Shanghai's Lin-gang Special Area, a new model of industry-education integration is helping frontline workers upgrade both skills and academic credentials.

A program launched by Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory and Shanghai University of Electric Power (SUEP) celebrated its first graduating cohort, highlighting how collaboration between a Chinese university and a global manufacturer is reshaping talent development.

Trainees attend hands-on computer training on campus. [Photo/Jiefang Daily]

After five years of study, Xiao Quan, an employee at Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory, received her bachelor's degree from SUEP. "I could work in the factory while studying at the same time, achieving both academic and skills advancement," she said.

After enrolling in the program, she studied under both university faculty and Tesla's in-house trainers and became one of the first 62 graduates to complete all required courses.

So far, the initiative has trained more than 800 Tesla employees, with over 400 admitted to higher education programs. Based on the cooperation model between SUEP and Tesla, the approach has also been replicated in companies such as CATL's Shanghai branch, forming a scalable model for industry-education integration.

At the university's Lin-gang campus, the jointly established Tesla modern industrial college and future energy innovation center are equipped with Tesla-donated training facilities, including the world's first Model Y 3D disassembly teaching platform.

Unlike traditional industry-academia cooperation, the program gives enterprises a greater role in talent cultivation. The two sides jointly designed a three-tier curriculum covering general competencies, professional knowledge and operational skills. The program also employs a dual-instructor model, combining university lecturers responsible for theory with Tesla experts delivering hands-on training.