Stafford Municipal School District seniors met Tesla representatives at Houston Community College on Monday, Sept. 28, during a Manufacturing Day career event.

The event focused on careers in technology, advanced manufacturing and clean energy, the City of Stafford said on X. The city's post said the visit connected local students and job seekers with industry professionals and included four photos from the gathering.

Tesla has been expanding its presence in the Fort Bend County area. The company filed state paperwork for a proposed $10.1 billion solar manufacturing project that could bring roughly 9,700 full-time jobs by 2033, ABC13 reported in August. That proposed facility falls within Lamar CISD boundaries, not SMSD, and no public records link the Manufacturing Day visit to the project. A Workforce Solutions principal economist told ABC13 that solar manufacturing in the Houston area grew 44% the prior year, with starting pay around $18 an hour and potential to climb above $60.

The Monday visit builds on an established pipeline between SMSD and HCC. The district posted on its Facebook page that 96 Stafford High School graduates earned either an associate's degree or an industry certification from HCC before graduating, through the district's free Early College program. The district's high school, Stafford Early College, Career, and P-Tech High School, feeds directly into that partnership.

SMSD has also received more than $300,000 in grants to support its robotics program, according to the district's website.

HCC's Stafford Campus has hosted similar industry events. In June, the campus held a Foxconn hiring event that drew more than 40 students and alumni for on-the-spot interviews with the global manufacturer.

No follow-up career sessions or application deadlines tied to the Manufacturing Day visit have been announced.