The Labor Department on Wednesday took the wraps off an employment training program focused on getting more women into skilled apprenticeships.
The department said high-paying, skilled positions need to be filled in the growing fields of cybersecurity, construction, and manufacturing. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said the focus is on women to fill the growing number of open positions in those industries in the United States.
Since President Donald Trump took office, about 145,000 people have entered skilled apprenticeships. But Chavez-DeRemer said that's not nearly enough. The U.S. needs 1 million in training in order to meet expectations for job growth.
The department's Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations program helps to connect women with grant funding to help cover job training costs.
This is all happening under the umbrella of Trump's business growth strategies linked with trade policies and tariffs to enhance manufacturing and construction, as many companies bring their operations to the U.S. to avoid tariffs.
John Deere, for example, has announced a $20 billion reinvestment for manufacturing its line of heavy equipment and farm machinery in the United States. On the technical side, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. said it will invest $100 billion to build and operate new computer chip manufacturing sites in the U.S.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected the need for over 6 million new employees to fill job openings through 2033.
A new round of grant funding made available for the program is designed to support community-based organizations in recruiting, training, and retaining more women to prepare them for the high-demand occupations.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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