Minnesota Department of Transportation

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Civil Rights

Ensuring equal opportunity for all businesses and personnel on our projects

Training programs

Workforce training programs

MnDOT offers free highway construction training for Indigenous people, Black people, people of color, women, and individuals facing disadvantages. These programs prepare individuals for a career in highway construction trades.

Carpentry - Metro

Carpenters rely on specialized techniques to measure, cut, join, erect and finish materials for jobs of all sizes including building structural frames and concrete forms.

Participants learn about the highway construction industry, earn safety certifications, and connect with employers. Participants receive a starter set of tools upon program completion.

Cement Mason-Labor - Metro

Construction laborers use a variety of hand and power tools to hammer, lift, saw and measure materials to build roads and bridges. Cement mason-labor includes building concrete forms and finishing work.

In this six-week program, participants gain training and job placement opportunities in highway construction. Work boots, PPE and construction tools provided. Offered in partnership with DEED.

Dirt/water/sewer systems-labor - Metro

A laborer in dirt/water/sewer systems assists with construction, repair and maintenance.

This introductory course includes:

  • sewer and water systems
  • utility line and grade consideration
  • installation of gravity flow basic procedures
  • pressure piping system
  • pipe fusion technique exposure

This training also provides opportunities for job placement. Offered in partnership with DEED.

Highway construction training - Rochester

Over six-weeks, learn employment strategies, shop practice, carpentry theory, residential blueprint reading, construction estimating, and industrial safety and first aid. 

Youth summer internships – Brooklyn Park

This program involves 6-10 weeks of paid summer internships with local employers in Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, and surrounding areas. These summer internships are more than just a summer job, they are a stepping stone for young people as they begin their path to college and career. Internships provide young people an opportunity to build their skills, gain valuable work experience, and grow their social capital.

Commercial Drivers' License - American OIC - Metro

Commercial truck drivers transport construction materials and supplies to and from construction sites.

Participants learn how to operate vehicles that require CDL Class A licensure. Upon completion, participants earn a CDL Class A license.

Commercial Drivers’ License - Duluth

Commercial truck drivers transport construction materials and supplies to and from construction sites.

Participants gain professional driving skills through classroom and hands-on training. Participants earn a Class A Commercial Driver’s License and qualify for entry-level truck driving positions. Presented in partnership with SOAR Career Solutions and Lake Superior College.

Commercial Driver's License – West Metro

Commercial truck drivers transport construction materials and supplies to and from construction sites.

Participants gain CDL Class A instruction, qualifications, and experience. They also learn about highway safety precautions and OSHA regulations. Presented in partnership with Mind the G.A.P.P.

Construction career orientation - Duluth

Highway construction includes building roads and bridges and involves many trades such as laborers, cement masons, operating engineers, ironworkers, pile drivers, and commercial drivers.

Participants in this training program receive an overview of the construction industry. They get hands-on training in highway construction trades and tour active construction sites. Participants also meet with industry employers. Presented in partnership with SOAR Career Solutions and Building Strong Communities.

Construction career orientation – Rochester

Highway construction includes building roads and bridges and involves many trades such as laborers, cement masons, operating engineers, ironworkers, pile drivers, and commercial drivers.

Participants in this training program will obtain a Trades Readiness Certificate through Rochester Community and Technical College. They will receive hands-on carpentry training and learn to read blueprints and specifications. Participants will receive personal protective equipment and meet with highway construction contractors. Presented in partnership with Workforce Development, Inc.

Commercial Drivers’ License - Cook County

Commercial truck drivers transport construction materials and supplies to and from construction sites.

Cook County Higher Education hosted a CDL training program in Northern Minnesota. Twenty participants enrolled in the program and, to date, 12 have obtained their CDLs.

Commercial Driver's License – Rochester

Commercial truck drivers transport construction materials and supplies to and from construction sites.

Participants in this training program receive classroom and hands-on training to support their attainment of a Class A Commercial Drivers’ License and entry into the highway construction industry. Presented in partnership with Workforce Development, Inc.

Multi-trade apprenticeship readiness

This 12-week program helps participants choose and enter a registered apprenticeship program. Presented in partnership with Building Strong Communities.

Construction career orientation – Metro

Highway construction includes building roads and bridges and involves many trades such as laborers, cement masons, operating engineers, ironworkers, pile drivers, and commercial drivers.

In 2023, 30 participants graduated from the Building Strong Communities Pre-Apprenticeship Multi-Trades program. This 12-week training took place in the metro area.

Construction career orientation - Brooklyn Park

Highway construction includes building roads and bridges and involves many trades such as laborers, cement masons, operating engineers, ironworkers, pile drivers, and commercial drivers.

In 2023, 10 participants received OSHA Safety and Small Equipment (forklift/skid steer) training in Brooklyn Park.

Construction and trades training - Brooklyn Park

Construction and Trades Pathways is a career program for job seekers age 18 and older who live or attend school in Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, or North Minneapolis. This program will prioritize and screen for individuals who are minorities, women, and disadvantaged individuals. Participants receive pre-enrollment training and help with removing barriers that might prevent them from enrolling in MnDOT highway training programs. Offered in partnership with Hennepin Technical College, Brooklyn Center Community Schools, Minnesota Trades Academy, HIRED, and the cities of Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center.

Cement Mason–Labor

Construction laborers use a variety of hand and power tools to hammer, lift, saw and measure materials to build roads and bridges. Cement mason-labor includes building concrete forms and finishing work.

In 2023, 16 participants graduated from a 5-week cement masonry training held in partnership with the Cement Masons Local 633 and DEED.

Cement Masons Tribal training

Cement masons work with a crew to pour, smooth and finish concrete roads, sidewalks, curbs and gutters.

Thirteen participants completed a 10-week training where they gained the skills and knowledge needed to work in highway cement masonry. MnDOT offered this training in partnership with the Cement Masons Local 633 and Minnesota’s federally recognized tribes.

Carpenters

Carpenters rely on specialized techniques to measure, cut, join, erect, and finish materials for jobs of all sizes including building structural frames and concrete forms.

In 2023, MnDOT partnered with the Carpenters Training Institute to offer two programs. Eleven participants graduated from a Metro program held in St. Paul. Ten participants graduated from a tribal program held in Bemidji in partnership with Minnesota’s federally recognized tribes. Participants learned about the highway construction industry, earned safety certifications, and connected with employers.

ADA concrete and inspection tribal training

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) concrete construction and inspection work includes removing and installing of curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and inspecting for ADA compliance.

In 2023, seven participants from the Lower Sioux Indian Community learned how to work in ADA-compliant concrete construction and inspection and became MnDOT ADA Construction Certified.

Connected Automated Vehicle Camp

In 2023, MnDOT partnered with the University of Minnesota to teach 19 high school students about connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technology such as self-driving cars and automated shuttles. Students explored career opportunities in this industry and participated in:

  • Hands-on opportunities with automated vehicles
  • Field trips to organizations working on CAV technology
  • Info sessions with practitioners in the field and University of Minnesota researchers
Get Ready! Youth work readiness training – Brooklyn Park

Get Ready! is pre-employment training designed to provide young people the foundational skills they need to successfully land a job and navigate the work environment. Open to youth ages 14-24 who live or attend school in the northwest suburbs.

National Summer Training Institute

The National Summer Training Institute was established by the United States Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration to develop awareness and interest in construction career opportunities for diverse middle and high school participants. In 2023, MnDOT partnered with the University of Minnesota to hold a two-week NSTI Camp where 30 middle-school students learned about different career opportunities in construction, took virtual field trips and learned about bridge design through hands-on activities.

 

Read a summary of MnDOT workforce training in 2022: 10 programs, 107 graduates