WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order to modernize American workforce programs to prepare citizens for the high-paying skilled trade jobs of the future.
The order directs the Secretaries of Labor, Education, and Commerce to review all federal workforce programs to modernize, integrate, and realign programs to address critical workforce needs in emerging industries. These Secretaries shall provide President Trump with a streamlined and integrated plan to reorient federal workforce programs to prepare the American economy for the opportunities presented by reshoring and reindustrialization. This comprehensive workforce strategy will further America’s global economic leadership and domination of key sectors by, among other things, capitalizing on the AI revolution, according to a White House press release.
Workforce Investment
President Trump aims to refocus young Americans on career preparation. Decades of previous leadership have left America with a one-size-fits-all approach to workforce preparedness, which previous Administrations promoted as “college for all.”
The federal government invests over $700 billion a year in American higher education, but only about half of new college graduates find jobs that require college degrees. Meanwhile, the federal government spends $4.1 billion on the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act and $1.4 billion on Career and Technical Education through the Perkins Act. Neither of these programs are structured to promote apprenticeships or have incentives to meet workforce training needs.
The Trump Administration is putting American workers first, unleashing domestic advanced manufacturing to produce the best American-made products and implement world-leading, American-developed technologies.
Back to the Future of Jobs
President Trump will restore focus on sectors and programs that made the American economy great in the first place, according to a news release.
In 2024, there was a shortage of 447,00 construction workers and 94,000 durable goods workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the annual shortage of skilled tradesman over the next decade will be close to half a million — and grow as the years go by.
This understates the problem — and the opportunity. Even the best federal government statisticians cannot predict the future. As the potential of American AI increases, and as America reshores manufacturing and makes Made in America a mark of international envy, America will need more skilled tradesman than we’re prepared to train.
President Trump’s executive order will meet the needs of the future with a focus on registered apprenticeships. The Administration will submit a plan to support more than 1 million apprenticeships per year.
HVAC industry associations applaud President Trump for taking action on this front.
“PHCC appreciates President Trump’s recent executive order regarding workforce development and the use of Registered Apprenticeships,” said PHCC — National Association President Dan Callies. “This association looks forward to working with the U.S. Department of Labor’s rulemaking process and supports these efforts to streamline the pathway to apprenticeship. PHCC has over 40 years of experience in the use of apprenticeships and sees this as a positive step toward producing the skilled workers needed for the future. PHCC and the PHCC Educational Foundation will continue to deliver premier education and training solutions for plumbing and HVAC professionals, setting the industry standard for excellence.”
