April 24, 2025– Last night, President Trump signed a slew of Executive Orders (EOs) pertaining to a number of topics, including workforce development. Among these EOs was one titled Preparing Americans for High-paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future.
This EO is focused on the Trump Administration’s wider efforts to reinvigorate domestic manufacturing in the United States. As acknowledged by the EO, a robust and skilled workforce is an essential component of these wider efforts being undertaken by the Administration.
Key aspects of this EO include:
- The Development of a Comprehensive Workforce Strategy report: The EO directs the Secretaries of Labor, Commerce, and Education to review all federal workforce development programs within 90 days. They must identify opportunities to integrate and realign resources to address critical workforce needs, propose administrative reforms, and recommend the restructuring or elimination of ineffective programs. The strategy also emphasizes investing in upskilling incumbent workers and exploring alternative credentials to the traditional four-year college degree.
- Expands Registered Apprenticeships: Over the next 120 days, the EO directs these same Departments to develop a plan to increase the number of active apprentices in America to one million. This plan will examine how to expand apprenticeship opportunities into new and emerging economic sectors and opportunities to leverage existing federal investments in postsecondary student aid and Career and Technical Education (CTE).
- Transparency and Accountability: The EO calls on the Departments of Labor, Commerce, and Education to improve data transparency on workforce performance outcomes and related credentials.
Read the Secretary of Labor’s response.
NAWB is continuing to analyze this and other EOs for potential impacts for the wider workforce development community and will continue to share updates as they are available.
We welcome members’ perspectives on this new development in the coming weeks ahead as federal agencies begin to develop plans to implement this latest executive action.
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