CHATHAM COUNTY – Even though VinFast has bought the land on which the Vietnamese automaker will construct its first North American automotive plant, there’s still tons and tons of work yet to be done before the facility can begin construction.

That’s according to Van Anh Nguyen, the CEO of VinFast Manufacturing US, LLC, who is already based in the Triangle and will oversee the plant and its construction.

The company is awaiting final permitting in order to begin construction, but it and their construction vendors are ready and waiting to build out the facility, said Nguyen.

The $4 billion plant, which will be located in Chatham County at the Triangle Innovation Point megasite, remains on track to be completed and operational with its first phase by July 2024.

VinFast on fast track to open EV plant in Chatham County

According to Nguyen, the automaker has already made key leadership hires, including a plant manager, four technical managers and four shop directors, all of whom are currently in the midst of training at the company’s existing factory in Vietnam.

That factory is already producing the automaker’s electric vehicles, with the first shipment of cars to the United States scheduled to arrive to U.S. customers in a matter of days.

Once completed and operational, the North Carolina factory will be able to produce 150,000 electric vehicles per year, with production capacity increasing in future years such that the company will add a battery plant and will produce all of the firm’s makes and models of electric car, as well as an electric bus, said Nguyen.

A key for success: talented workers

But in order to manufacture vehicles and to deliver them off of the production line, the company intends to hire workers.  In total, the company expects to staff the factory with more than 7,500 employees, many of them to work in technician roles to manufacture electric batteries and the company’s automobiles.

Nguyen told WRAL TechWire on Thursday that VinFast has been working with the North Carolina Community College System and expects to finalize the company’s core companies for many of the technician roles very soon.  Following outlining the skillsets and competencies that will be in demand in North Carolina’s emerging electric vehicle manufacturing market and at the VinFast facility, Nguyen and her colleagues will work with community colleges across the Triangle, Triad and state of North Carolina, in order to develop talent pipelines for future roles.

“We will be working with community colleges to prepare our future workforce,” said Nguyen.

Most of the hiring will be done in 2024, said Nguyen, with employees brought on prior to the opening of the plant’s production line.  All hired employees will complete a training program, said Nguyen.

“The roles we are looking to get from community colleges are our technicians,” she noted.  “The ones that can help us with production.”

Preparing a workforce: NC Community College System creates training programs for VinFast