Skilled trades are enjoying a renaissance in Wisconsin as the state’s youth are signing up for apprenticeship programs at record highs, according to a newly released report by the Wisconsin Policy Forum.
The surge in interest in trades comes as the Trump administration has made a concerted effort to bring manufacturing back into focus through the use of tariffs.
In the last decade, participation in the Badger State’s Department of Workforce Development’s Registered Apprenticeship Program has nearly doubled, from 9,872 people in 2013 to a record high 17,509 in 2024.
Participation in Wisconsin’s youth apprenticeship program has also more than doubled, from 5,104 in 2019 to 11,357 in 2024. (RELATED: Trump’s Blue-Collar Wage Boom Credited to Reduced Immigration and Revived Manufacturing)
United States Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer hailed the report as a victory for Wisconsin and the skilled trades, saying that the department is ‘laser-focused’ on ‘Making America Skilled Again.’
Increased participation in skilled trades will be a boon to the manufacturing and construction industry, which is already facing a shortage of workers. An estimate from the Associated Builders and Contractors found that the construction industry will have to attract 439,000 employees in 2025 to meet anticipated demand.
Recent trade deals struck in the aftermath of President Trump’s ‘Independence Day’ tariffs could open up even more manufacturing and trades jobs as the European Union has pledged $750 billion in investments into United States energy and an additional $600 billion in other projects by 2028.
Wisconsin policymakers share the Trump administration’s optimism and believe there are further opportunities to expand manufacturing and the skilled trades in the state. (RELATED: Back the Blue Budget: Wisconsin Republicans Beef Up Law Enforcement, Dems Say No)
“We are seeing increasing participation,” said Joe Peterangelo, research director at the Wisconsin Policy Forum. “But given the demand, there are still opportunities to expand what we have across the state and across different industries.”