 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
success stories
Apprenticeship Preparation Program Offers Tools for Change
“I thought being a man meant going to prison. That’s what you did in my neighborhood.”
For more than 21 years, Miguel—whose name has been changed for this story—was an active gang member in East Los Angeles. He used and sold drugs, was arrested and went to jail. But Miguel is a changed person today. He is a paid apprentice in the Laborers' union and looks forward to a rewarding career in the construction industry.
Miguel credits his turnaround to the second chance he received and to Flintridge Center’s Apprenticeship Preparation Program, which provided him with training and support.
His story could have been different. On parole and strung out on drugs, Miguel was arrested in a gang sweep and faced a federal indictment. Instead, he was sent to a residential drug program. After 90 days of sobriety, he sought help from a local nonprofit in finding a job. Told he was ‘too raw,’ he was about to leave the premises when Flintridge’s brochure for the Apprenticeship Preparation Program caught his eye. Miguel was delighted to find that the class, offered through Pasadena City College’s Community Education Program, was free.
“I knew how to destroy things, but this was an opportunity to learn how to build them."
Although he had never been to Pasadena, Miguel immediately caught a bus to the area and registered for the course. Each day during the nine-week session, he took a bus and train from his sober living home in Los Angeles and traveled to the Jackie Robinson Community Center where the class was held. At the end of the course, he graduated with perfect attendance. Miguel beams with pride as he recalls the completion certificate with his name on it.
“I was never used to good things happening to me. For the first time in my life, I dedicated myself to finishing something that I started.”
He is grateful for the support he received throughout his participation in the program—from his Pasadena City College instructor to the Pasadena Mental Health Center worker who helped him organize his life and open up emotionally, and to Flintridge Center’s friendly and encouraging staff.
“I have a career now. I went from public assistance to a Visa card with my name on it. The program taught me how to get up, get dressed and show up no matter what. I’m learning how to live now, not just learning how to survive,” he says.
Miguel’s resolve was put to the test when his first union assignment took him to Malibu—a location as exotic and alien as a South Sea island might be to someone else. But Miguel was determined to prove that he was willing to travel anywhere to work. And with the help of a friend who gave him a lift that first week, he completed his assignment. Since then, Miguel has worked at numerous construction sites in the Los Angeles and Pasadena areas.
“It feels good to be able to clock in and clock out, to do the work and show people what you’re really made of."
Miguel also helps to recruit participants for upcoming Apprenticeship Preparation classes. He keeps a calendar and carries a briefcase. His manner is polite and professional. With his tattoos, past history and message of hope, he is an effective ambassador, convincing prospective students with difficult backgrounds like his to give the program a chance and not to give up. “Jobs don’t fall in your lap overnight. You have to be willing to change,” he tells them.
Law enforcement still knocks on Miguel’s door. But these days, it’s to invite him to speak to the local sheriff’s department about his journey.
Miguel is always happy to share his story of transformation and renewed purpose. “It’s very important for others to know that people like me can change,” he says.
* * *
The Apprenticeship Preparation Program was created by Flintridge Center in 2008 with the support of an alliance of community partners. Since its inception, the program has trained more than 220 under-employed, high-risk or formerly gang-affiliated individuals, providing them with tools and assistance to change their lives.
Photo: Brian Biery
