Raquell Rivera, journeywoman carpenter with Carpenters Local 1004
Lansing, Michigan
At age 19, Raquell Rivera was homeless, spending most of her nights at a local youth shelter in Lansing. But after starting an apprenticeship to become a union carpenter, her financial situation began to improve. Since graduating from the program this year, Raquell has been able to buy a car and become a homeowner. The Inflation Reduction Act expands apprenticeship opportunities like the one that pulled Raquell out of housing insecurity and creates decades of work in her industry.
![Raquell Rivera]()
Raquell Rivera pictured in April 2023. (Photo credit: Tori Menold)
Right now, America’s trades can’t go anywhere but forward, especially with a lot of these green energy opportunities—solar panels, electric vehicle battery plants, and the like. These Inflation Reduction Act investments are creating more work that can’t be shipped out of the country, and those careers are providing people with the opportunity to make a livable, middle-class wage for their families.
Raquell Rivera
Read more about the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act
Americans celebrate how the Inflation Reduction Act has benefited their lives in the year since its passage.