Manuel Garcia, a man once entangled within the throes of addiction and criminality, has recently rerouted his journey towards a more stable future. The Aurora, IL native who once worked odd jobs to support his three children, has been steadily shaping a career in cement finishing. His involvement with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), in partnership with MnDOT, has granted him access to workforce training programs pivotal for his newfound role.
Brought up with a father who led a construction company, Garcia gained early exposure to the craft. However, with maturity came an aversion to starting from scratch. Advice from his father steered him back to the foundations of his upbringing—to consider the merit in labor unions. Following through, Garcia contacted the Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA), an action that proved fateful. While he was eager to build a career, he was initially hesitant to bear the title of an unskilled laborer at forty.
DEED’s employment and training specialist, Sylvia Garcia, encouraged him to undertake MnDOT’s cement masonry-laborer program, which would prepare him to begin as a cement finisher. Showing proficiency in the assessment test, Garcia signed up for the rigorous six-week course. Despite some experience from his days working alongside his dad, the program was a learning curve, demanding not only new knowledge but also resilience. According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, Garcia reflected on the training, saying, "is tough. You have to want it and learn from your mistakes."
Today, Garcia's first year as an apprentice with Legends Concrete, headquartered in Rochester, has seen him contributing to significant projects such as the roundabout at the interchange of I35 and Hwy 19. His sense of pride is palpable when he passes by this tangible proof of his labor, often sharing with his children that, "that’s something that I helped build," per Minnesota Department of Transportation bulletin. His journey underscores the transformative power of perseverance and the importance of support systems in redefining one's trajectory. The next opportunity for those interested in following a similar path is forecasted for April 2025, with DEED slated to begin their next cement masonry-laborer training program.
