Foundry School launched to train 3.8 million workers for advanced manufacturing
US launches Foundry School, a Stanford-anchored training program to prepare 3.8 million workers for advanced manufacturing jobs by 2033.
The Trump administration has formally launched Foundry School, a national workforce training initiative designed to prepare Americans for careers in advanced manufacturing. The program, unveiled on Thursday, targets entrepreneurs, engineers, technicians, and future industrial leaders as part of a broader effort to strengthen the domestic manufacturing base.
The initiative operates under Pax Silica, the State Department's flagship multilateral framework for securing trusted global supply chains for critical next-generation technologies. Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to headline the launch event at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, with senior administration officials, university leaders, and corporate executives in attendance.
Federal projections estimate that domestic industrial operations will require approximately 3.8 million skilled workers by 2033 across sectors including semiconductors, defense, and energy. The program is designed to convert recent federal capital commitments into tangible employment opportunities for American workers.
Foundry School was initially announced by Under Secretary Helberg during the Pax Summit on June 25, 2026. The training model is anchored by Stanford University, which developed a first-of-its-kind advanced manufacturing curriculum. Seven partner institutions — Arizona State University, Georgia Tech, Ohio State University, Penn State, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Kansas, and Vanderbilt University — will contribute keystone lectures.
The curriculum spans 17 sessions across the eight university campuses. Instruction will come directly from enterprise founders and chief executives based in the United States and partner nations within the Pax Silica framework, including India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Taiwan. The State Department describes the initiative as a single course designed to ensure the American workforce benefits from the country's industrial renaissance.