U.S. Department of Labor Blog
Today marks one year since I was confirmed as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Labor. When I took my oath of office, I committed not only to upholding my Constitutional duties but to delivering for the American worker. That mission has guided my work every day since.
Over the past year, I’ve traveled from coast to coast gaining firsthand insight into the operations, innovations, and challenges Americans are facing in our ever-evolving labor market. One of the biggest issues I encounter is the persistent mismatch between the training workers receive and the skills employers seek. That’s why the Labor and Education departments have partnered together to better align and strengthen elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education across the United States. By streamlining agency administration and connecting Education’s programs with Labor’s workforce development initiatives, we’re helping Americans of all ages achieve academic and career success.
Key to that has been expanding our apprenticeship program—one of the most powerful tools to build talent for the jobs of the future. Registered Apprenticeships are a faster, debt-free alternative to college and offer on-the-job experience that matches employers’ needs. Our focus isn’t just on students, though. President Trump has tasked us with securing one million active apprentices in Registered Apprenticeship programs. To reach this goal in the next few years, we’ve taken aggressive steps to modernize our apprenticeships system by slashing red tape and making the model more flexible for new industries, simplifying and expediting the registration process, and promoting flexibilities within the apprenticeship model. In addition, we’re awarding discretionary funds for Registered Apprenticeships to motivate states and employers to increase the number of active apprentices through performance-based funding models. These developments will be key to filling the 700,000 job openings currently open.
Equipping Americans to thrive in the workforce of the future is especially crucial in the context of artificial intelligence. AI represents a new frontier of opportunity for workers. To realize its full potential, however, we must make sure America is the global leader in the field, keep workers at the center, and maintain agility in an AI-driven economy. That starts with helping American workers understand the power of AI and how to effectively wield it. With that in mind, the Department of Labor has established a comprehensive, three-pronged approach to expand AI-related apprenticeships nationwide. By boosting AI literacy across all apprenticeship occupations, growing programs for AI-centric roles that directly build or manage AI technologies, and scaling programs for AI infrastructure occupations like electricians and HVAC technicians, we’re helping Americans not only survive the AI revolution but thrive.
In addition to upskilling our current workforce, the department is creating new jobs by bringing factories, supply chains, and critical industries back to our shores. That’s crucial for a few reasons. First, it means rebuilding America’s industrial base and creating high-quality jobs for our workers. Second, it means ending our dependence on foreign countries—especially our adversaries—to fortify our national security. And third, it means boosting our economic prowess through shorter supply chains, faster innovation, and better products. The Golden Age of American prosperity and competitiveness depends on a robust manufacturing base. Reshoring is how we do it.
More jobs means more job openings—which is why we are committed to reaching Americans who are too often overlooked, like veterans. During my time as Deputy Secretary so far, the Department of Labor recognized a record 888 employers from all over the nation with our HIRE Vets Medallion Award, which honors companies’ exceptional commitment to recruiting, employing, and retraining veterans. I also oversaw the disbursement of $23 million in grants for organizations that provide upskilling, employment services, and support for homeless and at-risk veterans, including registered apprenticeships and on-the-job training. And perhaps most notably, I was proud to help launch our Veterans Accommodations Toolkit, which offers tips and strategies to better hire, train, and retain disabled American veterans. The Trump Administration believes there’s no demographic more deserving of our support than those who have served.
President Trump was elected to put the American worker first. One year in, I’m proud of the tangible steps we’ve taken to deliver on that promise and honored to help champion the pro-worker revolution.
Keith Sonderling is the Deputy Secretary of Labor.