New executive order prioritizes apprenticeships to meet AI and manufacturing demands

Amid ongoing shifts in the labor market driven by technology and reshoring efforts, the Trump administration is directing a significant overhaul of federal workforce development programs. A new executive order aims to funnel workers into skilled trades and AI-related fields, leaning heavily on apprenticeships as a key pathway.

Broad review ordered: The order, titled “Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future,” states its purpose is to maximize recent investments in “America’s reindustrialization” by equipping workers for high-demand jobs and streamlining fragmented federal programs. It directs the Secretaries of Labor, Commerce, and Education to review all federal workforce development initiatives and, within 90 days, submit a report outlining strategies to better align resources with critical needs, improve program efficiency, and potentially consolidate or eliminate ineffective programs.

Skilled trades and AI talent prioritized: The administration is explicitly targeting the growing demand for skilled trades and other occupations needed for domestic manufacturing and technology implementation. The 90-day review must identify opportunities to invest in upskilling current workers, particularly regarding the use of AI in the workplace, and find alternative credentials to the traditional four-year college degree that map to specific employer skill needs, as detailed in the EO. In a corresponding White House fact sheet, the administration highlighted projected shortages of construction and durable goods workers, and framed the push as necessary for handling AI advancements and reshoring manufacturing.

Registered Apprenticeships get center stage: The executive order places a strong emphasis on strengthening and expanding Registered Apprenticeships (RAs). Within 120 days, the three secretaries must submit a plan to “reach and surpass 1 million new active apprentices,” according to the order. While the order itself doesn’t specify a timeframe for achieving this number, HR Dive reported the administration intends this as an annual goal, based on the accompanying fact sheet. The plan must identify ways to expand RAs into new industries, scale the model nationally, and better connect apprenticeships with the education system.

A shift in focus: The order’s commitment to Registered Apprenticeships marks a notable focus compared to the Trump administration’s first term, which promoted alternative Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs). That IRAP system was later rescinded under President Biden. In a statement, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said the new order empowers workers “to fill good-paying, in-demand jobs that will secure our economic comeback.”

Implementation capacity under scrutiny: The ambitious targets arrive amid questions about implementation capacity. Workshift.org reports that the directive comes as the Labor Department faces significant staffing reductions, including recent departures of key career officials involved with the apprenticeship system, such as the acting head of the Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Amy Simon, and the longtime administrator of the Office of Apprenticeship, John Ladd. Harin Contractor, a former Biden administration labor policy director, told Workshift the directive is “light on detail and lacks the staff and capacity to implement the shared vision.”