President Trump’s Plan to Expand Apprenticeship Programs
The Trump Administration has unveiled a comprehensive plan to expand the Department of Labor (DOL)'s apprenticeship program and simplify licensing rules, aiming to place one million workers into new apprenticeships. This plan is expected to take years to implement, with each of its pillars likely requiring at least a decade to fully realize. The plan allows federal agencies to cut underperforming programs while rewarding successful ones.
In an April executive order, President Trump directed the Departments of Labor, Education, and Commerce to develop a “Comprehensive Worker Investment and Development Strategy,” initiating a full-scale review of federal workforce development programs. Released last week, the strategy outlines five key pillars designed to “fuel the golden age of the American economy.” These include scaling the DOL’s registered apprenticeship system, targeting unemployed populations for training, consolidating training programs under the DOL, and expanding regulatory waivers to foster the development of new programs, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI). Additionally, the plan permits agencies to terminate grants that fail to meet “first-year benchmarks” and reallocate funds to providers that demonstrate success in connecting individuals to high-wage jobs.
The 29-page document offers the most detailed roadmap from the DOL on achieving the president’s objectives of expanding the workforce and enrolling a record number of apprentices. The DOL has already canceled several job training grant funds deemed poor-performing, wasteful, or overly focused on “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.”
Similarly, the Biden Administration attempted to overhaul the DOL’s 80-year-old registered apprenticeship system, incorporating diversity outreach, wrap-around assistance services, and other equity goals, which are absent from President Trump’s plan. Critics have noted that the current plan lacks concrete details on how its goals will be achieved. We will continue to monitor this plan and its impact on the construction industry.