Trump Signs Order to Enhance Skilled Trades Training

President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to overhaul workforce development programs, with a focus on expanding job training in skilled trades and emerging industries such as those enabled by artificial intelligence. The order seeks to pivot government support away from traditional four-year college degrees and toward apprenticeships and alternative credentials aligned with employer needs. Key federal departments are tasked with reviewing current programs, identifying inefficiencies, and proposing reforms, including potential consolidation or redirection of ineffective spending. The initiative is linked to Trump’s broader effort to revive U.S. manufacturing, which includes imposing tariffs to encourage demand for American-made goods. However, experts note that any manufacturing resurgence faces obstacles such as a shortage of skilled workers, due to decades of underinvestment in trade training and a shrinking labor pool. The policy aims to support over 1 million apprenticeships annually and to better prepare Americans for high-paying jobs that do not require a college degree.