President Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 14278 on “Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future” that is focused on apprenticeship and preparing workers for jobs in the skilled trades and other occupations that do not require a college degree. The fact sheet accompanying the EO frames the order as a rejection of the “college for all” workforce development model pursued by previous administrations. It says the goal of EO 14278 is to “restore focus on sectors and programs that Made the American Economy Great in the first place,” observing that America has a “shortage of 447,000 construction workers and 94,000 durable goods workers.”
EO 14278 directs the Secretaries of Labor, Commerce, and Education within 90 days of the April 23, 2025 issuance of the EO to submit a report to the President addressing six topics: (1) opportunities to integrate systems and align resources to address critical workforce needs and in-demand skills of emerging industries and companies investing in the U.S. by prospective employers; (2) federal workforce development and education programs that are ineffective or otherwise fail to achieve their desired outcomes; (3) available statutory authorities to promote innovation and system integration in pursuit of better employment and earnings outcomes for program participants; (4) opportunities to invest in the upskilling of incumbent workers to meet rapidly evolving skill demands of their industries, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace; (5) strategies to identify alternative credentials and assessments to the four-year college degree that can be mapped to the specific skill needs of prospective employers; and (6) efficiencies to streamline information collections, including by reducing the burden on grantees of federal training funds.
EO 14278 also requires the Secretaries to submit a report to the President within 120 days of the April 23, 2025 issuance of the EO regarding a plan to reach and surpass 1 million new apprentices focused on three topics: (1) avenues to expand Registered Apprenticeships to new industries and occupations; (2) measures to scale this proven model across the country, improve its efficiency, and provide consistent support to program participants; and (3) opportunities, including through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act and federal student aid, to enhance connections between the education system and Registered Apprenticeships.