Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Modernizes American Workforce Programs for the High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future

TLDR

This is a “fact” sheet for an executive order claiming to address workforce development through increased focus on apprenticeships and skilled trades, proposing a plan to support 1 million apprenticeships annually. It makes several questionable claims about federal education spending ($700B/year) and graduate employment outcomes. The order primarily mandates reviews and reports rather than creating new funding or specific initiatives, while employing politically charged language that frames workforce development as a choice between college education and trades.

This is a “fact” sheet for a recent executive order on federal workforce training, and makes several claims/assertions.

Claim: “The Federal Government invests over $700 billion a year in American higher education, but only about half of new college graduates find jobs that require college degrees.” - This figure appears to be significantly inflated. Federal spending on higher education is closer to $75-150 billion annually when accounting for all loan programs, grants, and tax benefits. The claim about graduate employment is misleading - while some graduates may initially work in positions not requiring degrees, this overlooks career progression and lifetime earnings advantages of degree holders.

Claim: “In 2024, there was a shortage of 447,000 construction workers and 94,000 durable goods workers.” - While labor shortages in skilled trades exist, these specific figures lack citation and appear cherry-picked. The characterization of “decades of leadership by so-called ‘Experts’ making wrong predictions” dismisses legitimate labor market analysis and economic forecasting.

Claim: “The Trump Administration is putting American workers first, unleashing domestic advanced manufacturing…” - The executive order doesn’t allocate new funding or create specific manufacturing initiatives. It mainly mandates reviews and reports from cabinet secretaries with no concrete implementation mechanisms.

Claim: “The Administration will submit a plan to support more than 1 million apprenticeships per year.” - The executive order only requires development of a plan without commitments to funding or implementation. The current registered apprenticeship system serves approximately 593,000 apprentices total, making a jump to 1 million new apprentices annually an unrealistic goal without substantial new resources.

Claim: “President Trump will restore focus on sectors and programs that Made the American Economy Great in the first place.” - The fact sheet mischaracterizes current workforce development efforts, which already include significant investments in skilled trades. The rhetorically charged language (“Made the American Economy Great”) masks the lack of substantive policy details.

The fact sheet employs inflated statistics, vague promises, and politically charged language while providing minimal substantive detail on implementation. It frames workforce development as a zero-sum choice between college and trades, contradicting research showing the economy requires both pathways. The executive order itself is primarily focused on program reviews and potential consolidation rather than new investments or specific initiatives.