In 2019, Gabriel Gomez began working in the custodial group in the Facilities division at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, where he cleaned labs, offices and bathrooms. ​“I started here at age 19, and I wasn’t too sure about what I wanted to do,” said Gomez, who earned an associate degree in management and supervision from Joliet Junior College in Joliet, Illinois. ​“Once here, I saw that Argonne offers an abundance of different types of work opportunities and job settings.”

The following year, Gomez moved into Argonne’s Utility Systems Water department, where he provided custodial services to Argonne’s water treatment buildings. He enjoyed talking to the custodial staff, engineers and managers and was exposed to the variety of equipment operated at the lab. ​“I like working with my hands and fixing things. It’s a bonus to get to work with maintenance mechanics who have been here for 20 or 30 years, tapping into all of their experience and knowledge,” he said.

“The maintenance mechanic trainee program has taken me way beyond where I thought I would be at this stage of my career.” — Gabriel Gomez, maintenance mechanic at Argonne

These experiences sparked Gomez’s interest in learning more about equipment maintenance, leading him to become one of just a few members of the Facilities division maintenance staff to enroll in the maintenance mechanic trainee (MMT) program in August 2020.

Since beginning the program, Gomez has worked in the Water department and Calibration and Instrumentation group in Utility Systems. Now, he has completed the MMT program and become a maintenance mechanic level 1, the highest maintenance mechanic position offered at Argonne. ​“If you had asked me two years ago if I would like to learn about calibrating instruments, like the average person, I would have had no idea what you were talking about. It has opened me up to an environment I didn’t even know existed,” he said.

By spring 2024, Gomez plans to finish his coursework to earn a certification in process control and instrumentation technology, also at Joliet Junior College. This program covers pressure and temperature controls, electrical systems, automation flow devices and other topics necessary for a successful career as an instrument technician.

“It has definitely been a great learning experience, a chance to expand my knowledge and meet a lot of great people. It has taken me way beyond where I thought I would be at this stage of my career,” Gomez reflected.

Utility Systems Manager Josh Koons noted, ​“We’re really inspired by Gabriel’s drive and passion to learn. Through his story, we want to raise awareness that this kind of path can be available for others at Argonne,” including those interested in pairing on-site learning with off-site training.