Trump Admin Moves To Fortify Key Piece In America’s Backbone

The Department of Labor (DOL) awarded nearly $84 million in grants to expand registered apprenticeships, the department announced in a news release on Monday.

The new grants are distributed among all 50 U.S. states in an effort to speed up the expansion of Registered Apprenticeship programs and encourage their establishment and continued growth, according to the DOL news release.

“Registered Apprenticeships are a vital tool for skills development, national economic competitiveness, business growth, and individual opportunity,” U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in the release. “They will become even more important as President Trump continues to create jobs in critical sectors like manufacturing and construction.”

This investment furthers the growth of registered apprenticeships across both established and cutting-edge sectors, such as “technology, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, supply chain, transportation, building trades, and construction,” bolstering America’s self-reliance in vital industries, according to the news release.

The DOL’s funding acts in concert with four executive orders cited in the news release: “Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future,” “Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth,” “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance,” and “Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base.” Trump signed the four orders across April and May.

The executive order “Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future” describes the Trump Administration’s efforts to re-industrialize the United States’ workforce, including a stated goal of 1 million active apprentices. Since the Trump Administration took office, more than 134,000 new apprentices have registered nationwide, according to the DOL’s Monday news release.

“My Administration will further protect and strengthen Registered Apprenticeships and build on their successes to seize new opportunities and unlock the limitless potential of the American worker,” Trump’s April 23 executive order states.