Trump Order to Expand Apprenticeships Holds Unclear Impacts for Construction

An April 23 executive order from President Donald Trump directs the secretaries of the Labor, Commerce and Schooling departments to overview authorities workforce growth packages and determine a plan to increase registered apprenticeships to new industries and occupations. 

The White Home cited the scarcity of building staff whereas touting the order, however it’s not clear what number of added apprenticeships would come with building, or whether or not they can be targeted on different areas equivalent to manufacturing and synthetic intelligence.

The motion will empower staff “to fill good-paying, in-demand jobs,” U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer mentioned in an announcement. 

The order offers company heads 90 days to submit a report back to the White Home targeted on enhancing the effectivity of present workforce and education schemes, or redirecting their funding to handle wanted ability growth extra broadly. It additionally offers company heads 120 days to submit a plan to surpass 1 million new energetic apprentices. 

That might be a steep enhance from the roughly 678,000 energetic apprentices collaborating in registered packages throughout the U.S. as of Jan. 31, based on the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s Employment and Coaching Administration. Whereas that quantity was down barely from 2024, the variety of apprentices has in any other case grown annually since 2015, when there have been near 360,000 apprentices.

The order itself alludes to Trump administration insurance policies aimed toward boosting home manufacturing and synthetic intelligence and got here the identical day as different orders associated to AI and better schooling—however it doesn’t point out building even because the trade accounts for the biggest share of energetic apprentices, with greater than 243,000, based on the Employment and Coaching Administration. Business teams shared optimism that the order might assist handle shortages for expert labor in building. 

“It’s all the time optimistic seeing the White Home and others speaking in regards to the significance of expert commerce positions,” says Jim Younger, senior director of congressional relations for labor, HR and security on the Related Basic Contractors of America. Michael Bellaman, president and CEO of the Related Builders and Contractors, mentioned in an announcement that apprenticeships are a part of the all-of-the-above strategy wanted in workforce growth to handle continual labor shortages. “Increasing apprenticeship alternatives throughout high-demand industries, particularly building, is commendable as a result of it equips our staff with sturdy and transferable ability units that gas America’s financial engine,” he mentioned. 

It’s additionally not clear from the language of the order whether or not new or up to date packages would give attention to union or non-union apprenticeships, or a mixture of each. 

Of registered apprentices in building, greater than 166,000 are in union packages, in comparison with about 75,000 in non-union packages, based on the Employment and Coaching Administration, though non-union apprenticeships outpace union ones in different fields. 

Younger notes the language of the brand new order seems to comply with a unique mannequin than efforts to encourage apprenticeships during the first Trump administration. Both manner, AGC goals to supply strategies to officers as they fulfill the manager order. “That is the Trump administration speaking about strengthening the registered apprenticeship mannequin,” he says. “Some would possibly learn that as strengthening the union registered apprenticeship mannequin. I believe it’s too early to inform what the administration is doing and the place they’ll land on this.”

Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich)., chair of the Home Schooling and Workforce Committee, praised Trump’s order in an announcement, saying it might “increase alternatives for younger Individuals to get into well-paying jobs.” He additionally criticized the Biden administration for favoring union apprenticeships over others, presumably providing a glance into the considering behind the directive.