Executive Order 13845 established a formal interagency council tasked with coordinating workforce development initiatives across the federal government. The executive order directed the Secretaries of Labor, Commerce, Education, and other relevant cabinet officials to work together in developing policy recommendations focused on expanding career pathways outside the traditional four-year college degree model. The council was explicitly charged with identifying gaps in current training and apprenticeship programs and proposing coordinated federal strategies to address workforce development.
The order directly affects workers seeking alternative credentialing pathways, employers in industries facing skilled labor shortages, and federal agencies responsible for administering training programs including community colleges, vocational schools, and apprenticeship sponsors. Workers in manufacturing, construction, healthcare, and information technology sectors represent the primary intended beneficiaries, as the council's mandate emphasized expanding access to apprenticeships and shorter-term credential programs. However, measurable outcomes from the council's activities—such as verified enrollment increases, wage improvements, or employment placement rates—remain undocumented in public records.
This initiative reflects a broader Trump-era emphasis on reshaping American economic policy through executive coordination rather than legislative action. While the council focused on workforce development, subsequent economic orders pursued more protectionist trade approaches, including the continuation of national trade emergency declarations and implementation of tariff surcharges that began appearing in the 2026 actions. These divergent strategies—simultaneously promoting domestic workforce training while imposing barriers on international commerce—create an inherent tension in economic policy, as tariff increases typically reduce hiring needs in import-sensitive sectors while potentially raising operational costs for businesses attempting to expand employment.
No significant legal challenges to the executive order itself have been documented, though critics raised questions about the council's effectiveness given the absence of binding authority or dedicated appropriations. The order required no congressional approval, operating entirely within executive branch authority to coordinate existing federal programs.
Executive Order 13845: President's National Council for the American Worker
💰 Economy · First Term (2017–2021) · 🤖 AI-categorized
On July 19, 2018, President Trump signed Executive Order 13845 establishing the President's National Council for the American Worker. The order created a council directed to coordinate federal workforce training and apprenticeship programs across agencies, with the goal of expanding career pathways outside traditional four-year college degrees. The confirmed direct impact includes the formation of an interagency council tasked with developing recommendations on workforce development policy, though measurable enrollment or employment outcomes from the council's activities have not been independently verified.