{"id":6241,"date":"2025-03-04T20:29:08","date_gmt":"2025-03-04T20:29:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/?p=6241"},"modified":"2025-03-04T20:38:22","modified_gmt":"2025-03-04T20:38:22","slug":"scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/","title":{"rendered":"Scorpion Spotlight: Gael Garcia Turns Workforce Training Skills into Valuable Career Opportunities"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-50px||||false|false&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><em>TSC Pipefitting Instructor Alan Rivera (left) shakes hands with program graduate Gael Garcia (right), who secured a job with Bechtel not long after receiving his certification. Workforce Training programs strive to ensure that their graduates make the right connections which will allow them the opportunity to immediately start working and putting their newfound skills to use.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;3_5,2_5&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;3_5&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; link_text_color=&#8221;#F6892B&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Industries thrive when they have a large talent pool from which to draw, highlighting the growing need for individuals skilled in a <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">certain<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> trade. However, not only the industries benefit from this need, but also the individuals who rise to the occasion to seek out and complete specialized training often find themselves on successful career pathways not long after obtaining their certification. Such is the case for Gael Garcia, who challenged himself by enrolling in Texas Southmost College\u2019s <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/academics-and-career-programs\/wtce\/career-training\/pipefitting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Pipefitting<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> program in search of a career <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u2013 a decision that<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">was the start of<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> a series of incredible events.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Like many high school students, Gael Garcia had contemplated the many different types of careers he could pursue after graduating from Porter Early College High School. \u201cI had many different careers in mind,\u201d recalled Garcia, \u201cbut as I grew older, things started to change, and I noticed that I lost interest and passion for <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">a lot<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> of the ones I had considered.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It\u2019s not unusual for many to change their minds, but rather than leave it at that, Garcia decided to take a more pragmatic approach to which future opportunities would provide him the best return on investment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cI started researching different types of industry crafts and the pay rates, and I decided to go to TSC and ask for more information on the technical career courses they offer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It wasn\u2019t long after that before Garcia committed to this new educational endeavor, signing up for a <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/academics-and-career-programs\/wtce\/career-training\/forklift-operations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Forklift Operator<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> course. Upon <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">completion of<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> the course, Garcia was still eager to continue adding to his new skill set, signing up for the <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/academics-and-career-programs\/wtce\/career-training\/structural-welding\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Structural Welding<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> course shortly after. <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">This course not only helped to further strengthen the foundation that he had already built <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">before<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> \u2013 <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">it was critical in teaching him the skills <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">which<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> would set him on the path to his career.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cI learned different welding styles like shielded metal welding, flux core welding, and metal inert gas,\u201d Garcia said. \u201cI also developed my skills with the specialized tools of the trade and learned how to properly use and respect the tool as the job progresses.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">His hard work paid off, and<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Garcia landed a job as a scaffold builder<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, though he<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> saw it as both a job and a foot in the door to the industry, considering his career growth <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">as<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> a key long-term goal.<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> When the time was right, he knew what his next move would be. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cI wanted to do more and get paid more,&#8221; said Garcia.<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8220;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">With the knowledge and skills I had already developed, <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">I returned<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0to TSC and enrolled in the Pipefitting course.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Armed with his cumulative knowledge and experience, Garcia found the course <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">to be<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> as informative as it was enjoyable. \u201cI was already ahead in some aspects since I knew how to weld with multiple processes, how to use a torch to cut through <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">material,<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> and other necessary skills,\u201d said Garcia, \u201cbut Pipefitting is such a disciplined craft in the way that a tiny mistake or wrong measurement can mess up a whole pipe, but I see it as a challenge to do the job right and be precise every step of the way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">With the guidance of his instructors, Garcia diligently applied his accumulated skills and knowledge to successfully complete the Pipefitting course and earn his certification. Shortly after completing the course, he secured a job as a pipefitter with Bechtel Engineering and Construction Company, and he has even had the opportunity to do contract work for a SpaceX recovery project.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">While his hard work is the primary factor in his success, Garcia quickly acknowledges TSC&#8217;s role in his educational journey, especially the instructors he studied under. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cMr. Anthony Medina from the Forklift program, Mr. Zapata and Mr. Perez from the Welding courses, and my Pipefitting instructors \u2013 Mr. Rivera, Mr. Garcia, and Mr. Rivera \u2013 all go out of their way to make sure that their students grow as professionals and as people. They taught us to work hard and that with honesty, everything can pay off.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Mr. Alan Rivera, a TSC Pipefitting instructor with over ten years of industrial construction experience, feels similarly<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">always <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">ensuring<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> that his students benefit from his guidance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cAs an instructor, I strive to provide my students with the tools and resources necessary for success in the workforce,\u201d said Rivera. \u201cHowever, these resources are only effective when combined with our students&#8217; dedication and effort. Mr. Garcia consistently demonstrated an exceptional attitude throughout the course and worked diligently to complete it, earning the certifications and skills offered through the TSC Pipefitting Program.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;2_5&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=&#8221;6272,6311&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; title_text_color=&#8221;#F6892B&#8221; title_font_size=&#8221;12px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_gallery][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p>Visit TSC WTCE<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/03\/Workf.png&#8221; alt=&#8221;TSC Workforce Training and Continuing Education Website&#8221; title_text=&#8221;TSC Workforce Training and Continuing Education Website&#8221; url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/workforce\/&#8221; url_new_window=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>TSC Pipefitting Instructor Alan Rivera (left) shakes hands with program graduate Gael Garcia (right), who secured a job with Bechtel not long after receiving his certification. Workforce Training programs strive [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":215,"featured_media":6310,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_gspb_post_css":"","_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[194],"tags":[127,227,16,19,228,106,109],"class_list":["post-6241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wtce","tag-forklift","tag-pipefitting","tag-texas-southmost-college","tag-tsc","tag-welding","tag-workforce-training","tag-wtce","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.7 (Yoast SEO v26.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Scorpion Spotlight: Gael Garcia Turns Workforce Training Skills into Valuable Career Opportunities - Texas Southmost College News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Like many high school students, Gael Garcia had contemplated the many different types of careers he could pursue after graduating from Porter Early College High School. \u201cI had many different careers in mind,\u201d recalled Garcia, \u201cbut as I grew older, things started to change, and I noticed that I lost interest and passion for a lot of the ones I had considered.\u201d\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Scorpion Spotlight: Gael Garcia Turns Workforce Training Skills into Valuable Career Opportunities\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Like many high school students, Gael Garcia had contemplated the many different types of careers he could pursue after graduating from Porter Early College High School. \u201cI had many different careers in mind,\u201d recalled Garcia, \u201cbut as I grew older, things started to change, and I noticed that I lost interest and passion for a lot of the ones I had considered.\u201d\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Texas Southmost College News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-04T20:29:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-04T20:38:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/02\/DSC08869.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1667\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\",\"@id\":\"\"},\"headline\":\"Scorpion Spotlight: Gael Garcia Turns Workforce Training Skills into Valuable Career Opportunities\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-04T20:29:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-04T20:38:22+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/\"},\"wordCount\":1058,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/02\/DSC08869.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Forklift\",\"Pipefitting\",\"Texas Southmost College\",\"TSC\",\"Welding\",\"workforce training\",\"WTCE\"],\"articleSection\":[\"WTCE\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2025\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/\",\"name\":\"Scorpion Spotlight: Gael Garcia Turns Workforce Training Skills into Valuable Career Opportunities - Texas Southmost College News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/02\/DSC08869.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-04T20:29:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-04T20:38:22+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"\"},\"description\":\"Like many high school students, Gael Garcia had contemplated the many different types of careers he could pursue after graduating from Porter Early College High School. \u201cI had many different careers in mind,\u201d recalled Garcia, \u201cbut as I grew older, things started to change, and I noticed that I lost interest and passion for a lot of the ones I had considered.\u201d\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/02\/DSC08869.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/02\/DSC08869.jpg\",\"width\":2500,\"height\":1667,\"caption\":\"TSC Pipefitting Instructor Alan Rivera (left) congratulates recent program graduate Gael Garcia (right), whose hard work has secured him a pipefitting job with Bechtel.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Scorpion Spotlight: Gael Garcia Turns Workforce Training Skills into Valuable Career Opportunities\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/\",\"name\":\"Texas Southmost College News\",\"description\":\"Texas Southmost College News\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/author\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Scorpion Spotlight: Gael Garcia Turns Workforce Training Skills into Valuable Career Opportunities - Texas Southmost College News","description":"Like many high school students, Gael Garcia had contemplated the many different types of careers he could pursue after graduating from Porter Early College High School. \u201cI had many different careers in mind,\u201d recalled Garcia, \u201cbut as I grew older, things started to change, and I noticed that I lost interest and passion for a lot of the ones I had considered.\u201d","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Scorpion Spotlight: Gael Garcia Turns Workforce Training Skills into Valuable Career Opportunities","og_description":"Like many high school students, Gael Garcia had contemplated the many different types of careers he could pursue after graduating from Porter Early College High School. \u201cI had many different careers in mind,\u201d recalled Garcia, \u201cbut as I grew older, things started to change, and I noticed that I lost interest and passion for a lot of the ones I had considered.\u201d","og_url":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/","og_site_name":"Texas Southmost College News","article_published_time":"2025-03-04T20:29:08+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-03-04T20:38:22+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2500,"height":1667,"url":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/02\/DSC08869.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/"},"author":{"name":"","@id":""},"headline":"Scorpion Spotlight: Gael Garcia Turns Workforce Training Skills into Valuable Career Opportunities","datePublished":"2025-03-04T20:29:08+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-04T20:38:22+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/"},"wordCount":1058,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/02\/DSC08869.jpg","keywords":["Forklift","Pipefitting","Texas Southmost College","TSC","Welding","workforce training","WTCE"],"articleSection":["WTCE"],"inLanguage":"en-US","copyrightYear":"2025","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/","url":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/","name":"Scorpion Spotlight: Gael Garcia Turns Workforce Training Skills into Valuable Career Opportunities - Texas Southmost College News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/02\/DSC08869.jpg","datePublished":"2025-03-04T20:29:08+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-04T20:38:22+00:00","author":{"@id":""},"description":"Like many high school students, Gael Garcia had contemplated the many different types of careers he could pursue after graduating from Porter Early College High School. \u201cI had many different careers in mind,\u201d recalled Garcia, \u201cbut as I grew older, things started to change, and I noticed that I lost interest and passion for a lot of the ones I had considered.\u201d","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/02\/DSC08869.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/02\/DSC08869.jpg","width":2500,"height":1667,"caption":"TSC Pipefitting Instructor Alan Rivera (left) congratulates recent program graduate Gael Garcia (right), whose hard work has secured him a pipefitting job with Bechtel."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/scorpion-spotlight-gael-garcia-turns-workforce-training-skills-into-valuable-career-opportunities\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Scorpion Spotlight: Gael Garcia Turns Workforce Training Skills into Valuable Career Opportunities"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/","name":"Texas Southmost College News","description":"Texas Southmost College News","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"","url":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/author\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/215"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6241"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6241\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tsc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}