Roxana Salgado has worked for eight years as an air conditioning technician at Termofrío, one of the leading engineering companies in Chile. She started there as a trainee and is now responsible for the maintenance of air conditioning systems. Salgado is one of the few women working in the refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) sector and her pioneering role is inspirational for other young girls interested in this career.

However, being the first also means facing long-established prejudices. “We once had an assignment in a clinic. We were a large team, but I was the only woman. One of the doctors there did not believe that I could repair the air conditioner. My colleagues supported me all the time, but until I fixed it, he was not convinced,” recalls Salgado.

Salgado started her journey at the Liceo Técnico Sergio Silva Bascuñán, where she graduated as an air conditioning technician. Salgado’s brother worked in refrigeration, and she often helped him with repairs. She eventually got curious and decided to study RAC.

While doing her studies, Salgado became a mother and had to freeze her programme for a year, especially since she was unable to participate in the practical part of the studies. The school gave her an option to switch to another programme, but she did not want to give up on her dream, so she returned to the classroom after a year.

When Salgado started her traineeship and then a full-time job at Termofrío, it was often not easy to combine family and work; however, it was her child that gave her the motivation. “My daughter gave me that impulse I needed to keep going because, in the end, I also did these things for her,” she says.

In 2018, Salgado’s career path took a new turn. As part of activities undertaken by the Montreal Protocol-funded project in Chile, UNIDO organized a training on Good Refrigeration Practices and subsequent certification of air-conditioning technicians. While Salgado was already at Termofrío, the National Ozone Unit of Chile offered Salgado the chance to participate in the UNIDO certification programme. Salgado completed the course and became the first woman to receive such a certification in Chile by the National Ozone Unit, overcoming prejudices about the capacities of women in the RAC sector. “Those are the moments in which I feel proud of the decisions I made,” she says.

Salgado admits that after receiving the certification, she feels more empowered in her work. Salgado loves her job and motivates other people around her. She is currently planning to do a university degree and start her own refrigeration company.

Project name: HCFC phase-out management plan (stage III)