Vance and Rubio launch Foundry School to train next generation of US manufacturers

The Trump administration has formally launched the Foundry School, a nationwide training initiative designed to build a workforce for a resurgent American manufacturing sector. The announcement was made on Thursday at an event in Washington, DC, headlined by Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The program is intended to equip entrepreneurs, engineers, technicians, and future industrial leaders with the skills needed to support the administration's reindustrialization push. Officials say the initiative will help translate recent manufacturing investment into tangible jobs for American workers, ensuring that the benefits of this spending are felt across the country.

Secretary Rubio framed the launch as a corrective to past policy, arguing that the US had become dangerously reliant on other nations for essential goods. He stated that this dependence posed a threat not only to economic vitality but also to national security, and that reversing this trend would be a long-term national endeavor.

Vice President Vance emphasized the cultural and economic message of the program, aiming to inspire a new generation to pursue careers in industry. He rejected the idea that manual labor is inferior to other professions, stating that working with one's hands is the work of the future. The initiative, he said, is meant to provide young Americans with the tools, education, and networks to build the next generation of American products.