Apprentice Rikki Rivera Thrives in Career in HVAC/R A


BY CAROL EATON


rika “Rikki” Rivera never imagined just how much her life would change when she heard Rising Sun’s Marlin Jeffreys give a presentation at the Family


Justice Center in Oakland about the opportunities for women in the construction trades that would be ex- plored in the new Opportunity Build cohort, “Women Building the Bay.” That was four years ago, when Rivera was at a “very vulner- able and pivotal” point of her life coming out of an unhealthy 29-year relationship and being a single mother responsible for six young children at the time. (She had become legal guardian to three of them after her sister was killed in a still-unsolved case.) Finding a well-paying career to sustain herself and her children was her top priority. Her decision to participate in that Opportunity Build cohort


was by far one of the best decisions she ever made, according to Rivera, leading her to pursue a career in the heating, ventila- tion, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC/R) industry. “I am very appreciative of the Opportunity Build program,”


she said. “It enables individuals like me with no experience in construction to learn about 28 different trades, and you have the opportunity to make your own executive decision about which one is right for you.” The program also provided her with an array of supportive


services and resources that were invaluable. “It enabled me to say, ‘Hey I’m here and able to learn,’ without the added stress of getting steel toe boots or a power tool that cost money that I didn’t have.” During the program, participants have the chance to ex-


plore the many different construction trades. It was on a visit to the Plumbers & Steamfitters Local Union 342, which rep- resents journeymen and apprentices in the plumbing, pipefit- ting, and HVAC/R industry, that Rivera’s interest was piqued. “I had zero experience in the trades, but my mindset was


that if they asked, ’Do you know how to do this?’ I refused to say no. I just would say I am willing and able to learn. I knew it was an opportunity that was going to enable me to provide for my children and myself.” Shortly after she completed the Opportunity Build program


in April 2019, Rivera joined Local 342 and was hired at Climate Pros, Inc. as an HVAC/R apprentice. She continues there today and expects to reach journeyman status in approximately two-


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CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023


and-a-half to three years. So how has the new career changed her life? In a word,


“dramatically,” according to Rivera. Born and raised in the Bay Area herself, she is proud to be able to afford that same opportunity for her own kids. She is able to provide her own transportation now rather than relying on public transportation as she used to, which “changed my life a lot,” she said. The job has also given her the chance to travel extensively for work to places like Hawaii, Chicago, and Spokane, WA, to name a few. “I’m so thankful to have a sustainable career and to be able


to provide for my family and myself,” Rivera concluded. “People say I inspire them. I’m thankful for that recognition, for my two girls to be able to say that their mom does what many consider only men do, and they are proud of it. I’m thankful that I can be a testament to my own children so they can see that as an individual, you can do it too.”


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