WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Labor announced a $98 million funding initiative designed to expand pre-apprenticeship programs and steer young Americans into high-demand industries as the Trump administration intensifies its push to rebuild the nation’s skilled workforce.
The funding, made available through the department’s YouthBuild Program, will support pre-apprenticeships in fields including construction, advanced manufacturing, information technology, and healthcare. Officials said the investment targets communities where many young people are disconnected from both school and the labor force.
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said the initiative is intended to open practical pathways to employment for Americans ages 16 to 24 by combining education, hands-on training, and job placement services.
“By investing $98 million through our YouthBuild Program, the Labor Department is opening up pathways to success for young Americans by providing them with opportunities to gain hands-on experience in construction and emerging fields,” Chavez-DeRemer said. She added that the administration remains focused on building a workforce capable of driving long-term economic growth.
Administered by the Employment and Training Administration and supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, the program is expected to fund about 57 grants nationwide. Individual awards will range from $1 million to $2 million and will support academic instruction, occupational skills training, and employment services tied directly to local labor market needs.
The funding aligns with the Trump administration’s America’s Talent Strategy and its goal of reaching and surpassing 1 million apprenticeships nationwide. For the first time, the Labor Department has established a performance target tied to Registered Apprenticeships, setting an expectation that a defined share of YouthBuild participants will enter a registered apprenticeship within one year of completing the program.
Officials said the requirement is intended to strengthen partnerships between pre-apprenticeship programs and registered apprenticeship sponsors, ensuring participants move into sustained, high-quality career tracks rather than short-term training with limited job prospects.
The initiative also places new emphasis on artificial intelligence education. Grant applicants are required to include AI literacy in the academic portion of their programs and are encouraged to integrate those skills into occupational training, reflecting the growing role of automation and data-driven tools across industries.
The Labor Department said applications from charter schools and organizations partnering with educational institutions aligned with the administration’s push to expand educational choice will receive priority consideration.
Federal officials framed the funding as both a workforce and economic strategy, arguing that expanding access to pre-apprenticeships will help address labor shortages in critical sectors while offering young people a direct route into stable, well-paying jobs.
The department has not yet announced application deadlines or award dates but said details will be released through the Employment and Training Administration as the funding opportunity moves forward.
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