Workforce Policy
Policy Advocacy
Drawing upon experience across all areas of workforce development, the MI leads engagement with the executive and legislative branches of the federal government on workforce policy issues on behalf of the nation’s manufacturing sector.
Policy priorities
Manufacturing America’s Talent Policy Priorities
Workforce and apprenticeship reform priorities
In response to President Trump’s Executive Order 14278, which calls for a bold modernization of the federal workforce system and expansion of employer-led apprenticeship opportunities, the Manufacturing Institute has released a set of critical policy priorities for workforce and apprenticeship reform. The MI’s policy priorities reflect months of listening sessions and consultations with manufacturers across the country—small and large, urban and rural, across a range of sectors—who continue to face an expanding applicant and skills gap that threatens to slow innovation and economic progress.
Read the Policy Priorities (PDF)MI testifies at Senate hearing on Registered Apprenticeship
On November 5, Gardner Carrick, Chief Program Officer, testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions for a full committee hearing titled “Registered Apprenticeship: Scaling the Workforce for the Future.” The testimony drew on the MI’s decades of expertise in apprenticeship—developed through our on-the-ground work with manufacturers and our leadership of the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME). Gardner outlined policy options Congress should consider to strengthen and streamline the federal Registered Apprenticeship system and highlighted the success of the FAME program—a multiemployer apprenticeship model which produces global-best technicians by developing the skills and competencies identified as critical by employers.
The MI delivered written testimony with a suite of suggested system improvements, as well as a one-page summary of that testimony to the Committee.
Watch: MI testimony before the Senate HELP Committee
Legislative win
Statement on Workforce Pell 2025
The Manufacturing Institute proudly celebrates the passage of the Workforce Pell Grant Program in Congress, a critical step forward in strengthening America’s workforce and manufacturing competitiveness. Federal Pell Grants have long served as a vital lifeline for students.
Contact
Jordan Morang
Director, Workforce Innovation & Policy
Add your voice.
Workforce policy works best when it is grounded in what manufacturers actually experience. Partner with the MI to inform the debate.
