A proud member of the United Association (U.A.) Local 250, Joel Martinez recently completed a 5-year apprenticeship in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration. His new Journeyman status allows Joel to work his trade nationwide and to significantly increase his earnings potential.
Before he decided to finesse his skills as a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) technician, he received a solid foundation and the desire to continue a vocational path after earning his certification as a certified apartment maintenance technician (CAMT) through JVS SoCal’s ApartmentWorks program.
Joel had been working in retail sales since graduating high school. He attended junior college for a year and a half, but decided it wasn’t for him, so he continued working full-time for the telecom company Sprint. It wasn’t that he hadn’t moved up. “I have always been a very social person and can easily approach people and make conversation,” Joel says. His last job before deciding to make a change was several steps up, and he had a managerial role.
“I didn’t see a good opportunity for the future in retail sales,” shares Joel. Moreover, he always knew he was handy with tools. He learned basic car repairs from his dad and worked at an auto parts store. “I always liked fixing things; I’d take them apart and put them back together again. I decided to find a trade where I could be hands-on.”
A friend told him about the JVSWorks no-cost career training programs. “He went through the ApartmentWorks program before I did, and now he takes care of a building in Beverly Hills doing maintenance work,” Joel says.
In partnership with the National Apartment Association and Southern California’s leading real estate development and property management firms, ApartmentWorks prepares job seekers for a position as a CAMT. The career training program offers job training, placement assistance, supportive services and career coaching.
Joel went through the process of applying and interviewing in early 2016. Once he was accepted into ApartmentWorks, he learned basic knowledge to work as a CAMT; including how to fix appliances and light fixtures, electrical work, drywall, painting, and plumbing as well as professional customer service. “The ApartmentWorks program teaches you all that,” Joel says. “I learned a lot of basic stuff I didn’t know before.”
It’s the doors opened to new knowledge that Joel has since been able to use to build a rewarding career. Once completing the program, he initially interviewed with JVS SoCal’s employer-partner companies. He was hired to work for the maintenance department at the Bicycle Hotel & Casino in Bell Gardens.
“It was pretty cool, and I enjoyed it,” he says. “They let me get my hands on a lot of stuff. I mostly fixed kitchen equipment, so the training really came into play.”
Still, Joel began to think about what he was more passionate about—air conditioning. He decided to focus on that and looked for opportunities in the field.
“For the last five years, I have been doing HVAC repair and service,” shares Joel. He was invited in 2019 to join the prestigious HVAC industry workers union as an apprentice. “I drive a company vehicle, visit job sites, get my hands on equipment—always something new and interesting.”
Today, Joel works for ACCO Engineered Systems, one of the largest mechanical systems contractor in the nation with notable projects like the SoFi and Rams stadiums.
Joel gives credit to the ApartmentWorks program for helping to set him on this trajectory to success. He says: “I would recommend people take advantage of this program. These great skills stick with you forever when you apply them.”
And Joel should know—because that’s precisely what he has done to ensure there are no more dead ends in his future.
If you would like to help others achieve the same dream as Joel, please donate now.