4 minBusiness
Ford-Backed Alliance Warns U.S. Faces 1.7 Million Skilled Trades Openings a Year
A new national report from the Alliance for America's Skilled Trades finds the U.S. will need 1.7 million skilled trades workers annually through 2035, while training programs produce only 55 workers for every 100 needed. Ford CEO Jim Farley is leading the effort to close the gap.
The United States will need roughly 1.7 million skilled trades workers every year through 2035, but current training programs are producing only about 55 workers for every 100 openings, according to a national report released by the Alliance for America's Skilled Trades. The alliance, formed in July by Ford, BlackRock, Google and Carhartt, published the findings in partnership with Jobs for the Future and the Burning Glass Institute.
The report analyzed 124 skilled trades occupations nationwide and found that at least 2.1 million skilled trades jobs are likely to go unfilled by 2030. While some of the projected openings will come from economic growth and retirements, about 600,000 will be net-new jobs in fields such as artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and energy.
Ford CEO Jim Farley has positioned the automaker's commercial business arm, Ford Pro, at the center of the effort. Ford Pro sells trucks, vans, software subscriptions and services to customers who are already confronting the skills shortage firsthand, and it is Ford's most profitable operating business. That gives the company both credibility and a financial incentive to address what has become one of the country's toughest competitive challenges.
The alliance's work extends beyond research. Ford has partnered with Bloomberg Philanthropies to pilot a new auto tech program in Detroit Public Schools and teamed up with Lyft to help SkillsUSA students reach their training and apprenticeship programs. The company also commissioned research from the Ad Council to better understand how students, parents and teachers view skilled trades.
On Tuesday, Farley joined JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and officials from Michigan Central and Newlab to launch a public-private initiative called Michigan LIFT, or Launchpad for Industrial Innovation and Transformation, aimed at investing in innovation. The alliance also announced new members.
One persistent obstacle is cultural. Most children do not grow up aspiring to become HVAC technicians or construction workers, and many high school guidance counselors still promote four-year college degrees over trade apprenticeships because the former were traditionally seen as the route to stable, high-paying jobs. Only about half of those who enroll in such training programs manage to finish, often held back by cost, transportation and childcare needs.
The report's release comes as employers across manufacturing, energy and construction struggle to fill positions that require specialized technical skills. The alliance argues that closing the gap will require coordinated action from companies, educators and policymakers rather than isolated programs.
Detroit served as the backdrop for the discussion, a city that gave birth to the automobile industry and a new middle class in the last century and that now stands as a testament to reinvention and entrepreneurship. Ford may be steering the initiatives, but it is not driving them alone, and the alliance is expected to keep expanding its membership as the labor shortage deepens.
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